To Save A Life
by Gravity-Chan
Summary: After the death of her mother, Wendy Marvell is sent to live with her cousin, Natsu. She has a few problems; She is unbearably shy, and she has a secret that she doesn't want anyone to know. When she meets senior Mest Gryder, she gains a new outlook on life and begins a journey towards finding her true self. Full summary inside. High School AU.
1. Just My Luck

**Hello! Welcome to my newest story, "To Save A Life". I'm super excited about the plot of this story; it's very dramatic and angsty, but also super fluffy ;D I'm also trying something new. As of today, I have ten chapters written for this story as opposed to writing a chapter and then posting, so I've been working on this for roughly two months now. I hope you all enjoy! Before you ask, this is NOT a NaWen (NatsuxWendy) story! It's a Dorandy/Mendy (WendyxMest) story! They're cousins in this AU, and they're very close to each other because they grew up together! Also, Wendy's mother is not Grandine, but Natsu's father is Igneel. A little confusing, but both Wendy's parents are OCs. Now then, now that I've straightened that out, here's chapter one of To Save A Life. Please drop a review and tell me what you think!**

* * *

To Save A Life

After the unfortunate death of her mother, Wendy Marvell is sent to live with her cousin, Natsu. She becomes the newest freshman at Fiore East High School, but there are a few problems; Wendy is unbearably shy, to the point where she can hardly speak to anyone, and she has a secret that she doesn't want anyone to know. However, things for her change when she meets senior Mest Gryder, who is basically her polar opposite. With a new outlook on her life, Wendy starts a long, hard journey towards finding her true self, and possibly finding love as well.

* * *

"Come on, Wendy, we're going to be late!" Natsu's impatient voice floated up the stairs to the open door of the bathroom, where Wendy was examining her hair in the mirror, an anxious expression on her face.

"Just a moment, Natsu!" she called back fretfully, finishing with her hair, which was now tied in twin ponytails at the base of her head. After examining it from all angles, she smiled at her reflection and grabbed her purse, slinging it over her shoulder as she walked down the stairs.

Natsu was leaning against the door, his foot tapping impatiently, but his face lit up as Wendy approached. "Finally! Let's go, Wens!" Natsu rushed, ushering his younger cousin out the door.

Wendy tapped her cousin on the nose playfully as she grabbed her backpack and slipped her shoes on. "Bye, Auntie and Uncle Dragneel!" she called to the two adults in the kitchen, but that was all she got before Natsu shoved her out the door.

Once the two of them were safely on the sidewalk, Natsu let out a breath. "Jesus, Wens, you take forever to get ready. Even I'm not a stickler for being on time, but if we took any longer we would have missed half the class period." he glanced at his watch. "We barely have time to catch the bus."

"Remind me why we have to take the smelly, crowded city bus when we could get Auntie and Uncle to drive us to school?" Wendy complained, pouting up at her cousin.

Natsu ran a hand through his salmon-colored hair. "Because I don't want to bother mom and dad about it. Besides, none of the school buses come out here," he replied. Seeing Wendy's crestfallen look, Natsu grinned and rubbed her head. "You're too cute sometimes. You'll survive riding the bus."

Wendy huffed and crossed her arms, looking away. "Sometimes I want a decent place to sit for half an hour on the way to school. Besides, it's my first day, give me a break!"

Natsu laughed. "Come on, the bus stop is up ahead," he urged, speeding up to a slow jog.

"Slow down!" Wendy cried, struggling to keep up with her much taller cousin. Natsu just laughed as he approached the bus stop. People were already gathered to board the bus, which was rounding the corner as Wendy caught up to Natsu, out of breath.

"Come on, slowpoke!" Natsu urged, grabbing Wendy's elbow and tugging her onto the bus. The bluenette made a small noise of protest, but allowed herself to be dragged into the bus. Natsu plopped down in the front seat and pulled Wendy down with him, looking out the window. "Look, seems like there are a few students who had the same idea as us," he said, pointing to a group of teenagers sporting the same school uniform as them. Wendy looked down at her own uniform, a white blouse with a gray cardigan and a pale red tie, paired with a pleated gray skirt and white knee-socks. Her pale red flats matched her tie, and the patch on her cardigan was pale green, showing that she was a freshman. Natsu, who was a sophomore this year, had a yellow patch on his gray suit jacket.

Wendy clicked the shiny toes of her shoes together, her hands clasped in her lap. "I guess so," she replied. "Good for them." As she looked at the group, she noticed that it was primarily juniors, their blue patch easily spotted, along with a few freshman and even one senior, his red patch hanging off as though it had been overworn.

Natsu elbowed Wendy gently, a friendly grin on his face. "Excited for your first day?" he asked. "Fiore East is a pretty cool school. Plain, but good."

Wendy noded, a small smile on her face, but in reality she was nervous, really nervous. "I guess I'm just worried about meeting the other students," she confessed. "I tend to be unapproachable."

"Aw, come on, Wens! You're perfectly approachable! You just need to drop that shy habit," he encouraged. Seeing the doubtful look on her face, Natsu sighed and touched her shoulder. "Now is your chance for a new start. Don't let these kids walk over you like they did at Hargeon."

Wendy flinched at the comment. She had been the focus of most of the jibes and jokes at her old school, Hargeon Private Academy, for reasons she wasn't comfortable talking about. She forced a smile, glancing sideways at Natsu. "I won't," she promised. "But it's hard to be outgoing when I'm so self-conscious."

"Just be yourself," Natsu instructed. "They'll love you."

Wendy flashed him a grateful smile, and went back to silently people-watching. It wasn't long before the bus parked in front of the school, and the driver announced that they had arrived. Wendy picked her backpack up off the ground and slung it over her shoulder, quickly leaving the bus with Natsu close behind her. The school itself was actually pretty small, two stories tall, but it was still daunting for a fourteen-year-old girl who had only ever attended tiny private schools.

Natsu flung an arm around his cousin's shoulders, a broad grin on his face. "Impressed?" he said. "It's actually not too impressive, but I guess it's bigger than those little schools you were always talking about." he shrugged and grabbed her arm, tugging her towards the school. "Come on, let's go," he urged. "I already know who your student buddy is. She's actually one of my friends. I think you'll like her." he continued to ramble on as they headed towards the school, but the bluenette was busy admiring the school grounds, which were really pretty, decorated with colorful flowers and green grass. It was spring, after all, so all the trees were in full bloom, and flower petals littered the ground.

Natsu led Wendy into the school, heading into the main office and walking up to the desk. "This is Wendy Marvell, the new freshman," he introduced, indicating the tiny bluenette with a flick of his hand. Wendy blushed and gave a shy wave to the woman manning the computer.

The woman nodded. "Very good. Mr. Dragneel, you can go to class now. Ms. Heartfilia!"

A blond girl looked up from her phone at the mention of her name, and gave Wendy a kind smile. She stood up and put her phone in her purse. "You must be Wendy Marvell," she said, holding out her hand. "I'm Lucy Heartfilia, and I'll be your student buddy today."

Wendy took her hand tentatively and shook it, offering Lucy a shy smile. The blonde seemed friendly enough. "Yeah, that's me," she replied softly.

"Alright, let's get going," Lucy said, leading Wendy out of the main office door and into the hallway. "FEHS is a pretty small school, but the hallways can be confusing sometimes, so I'm here to give you a tour. Do you have your class schedule?"

Wendy nodded and pulled a folded piece of paper out of her purse, handing it to Lucy. On it was her seven-period class schedule and her locker number and combination. "D345," Lucy recited. "That's your locker number. That means you're in the D hallway. That's lucky, barely anyone goes to that hall. There are just faculty rooms and one classroom." Wendy nodded along as Lucy continued down the hall.

Lucy turned down a particularly small hallway with only a handful of lockers, pausing at one near the end of the hall. "This is your locker," she explained. "Your first class is also my first, so I can help you find your second class afterwards."

Wendy smiled and easily opened the locker, piling her supplies in. Lucy informed her that she was going to class before disappearing into the nearby room, and Wendy pulled out a notebook and a binder before following her. She slowed down as she entered the lively classroom. There were probably only twenty kids in the room with the teacher at the front, taking roll. Looking around, she spotted the teacher's name on a placard on her desk; Mrs. Connell. She was a young, pretty woman with green hair that flowed in waves down her shoulders.

"Ms. Marvell?" Mrs. Connell called, breaking Wendy's train of thought. The teacher was looking down at her kindly. "You're the new student, right? Would you mind introducing yourself?"

Wendy gulped, blushing slightly, and reluctantly walked up to stand beside her teacher. "I'm Wendy Marvell," she said, in the loudest voice she could muster. She was certain the people in the back hadn't heard her.

Mrs. Connell didn't seem to notice, and assigned Wendy a seat near the center of the classroom. She hoped Mrs. Connell didn't plan to use any visuals, because from her spot it was very difficult to see.

"Welcome to english structure." Mrs. Connell's voice faded to background noise as Wendy trailed her pencil pointlessly over the front page of her notebook.

"Wendy, right?" A stranger's voice snapped Wendy out of her daydreaming, and she turned to see a young man talking to her, a senior, she noted, spotting his red patch. "I couldn't help but notice that the new student was a freshman. You don't often see one in english structure."

Wendy blinked and blushed at the hidden compliment. "I-I really like english," she replied sheepishly. She inwardly chastised herself for acting like a fool in front of a senior, but outwardly she just examined the man talking with her. He was handsome, no doubt, with neatly cut black hair and the greenest eyes she'd ever seen. He had an x-shaped scar crossing one eye, and though she was curious, she didn't ask about it. "What's your name?" she asked suddenly, surprising herself. Normally she was far too timid to carry on a real conversation with anyone.

The man grinned at her and held out his hand. "Mest Gryder. Nice to meet you," he replied. Wendy smiled and shook his hand; he seemed nice, though she was still intimidated by the prospect of talking freely with a senior.

"You already know my name," Wendy said, out of lack of anything better to say. She was sure she was still blushing, as she did quite frequently.

Mest laughed lightly, taking Wendy by surprise. Had she said something funny? "You're cute," he commented kindly. "I hope you find everything okay. If you need help, feel free to ask me. I won't bite, I promise." he winked at her, and Wendy giggled, her blush reddening further.

"I'll do that."

* * *

Wendy sighed in frustration, crumpling the piece of paper between her hands. Stupid schedules, she thought to herself bitterly. Why can't you make more sense? She tucked the paper ball into her pocket and continued to wander around. She was lost, and she lacked the courage to ask anyone for help. After a minute, though, she was starting to get desperate, and approached a nearby man, standing up on her tip-toes to tap him on the shoulder.

"Hm?" she man glanced over his shoulder, right over Wendy's head, a confused look on his face. "Did someone touch me?" he wondered out loud, running a hand through his blond hair.

"It was probably nothing, Sting," the boy's companion replied, oblivious to the girl standing directly behind the tall teen.

Sting sighed. "You're probably right, Rogue" he said, slinging his arm around his friend's shoulders and walking with him.

Wendy groaned softly, covering her eyes with her hands and running them down her face. "You're useless," she scolded herself. "Can't even speak up for yourself…" she sighed heavily to herself and began to wander once more, climbing a nearby staircase. She glanced around, trying to memorize the halls and classrooms, noting the roof access door at the top of the staircase. She froze when she reached the top of the stairs, however, feeling a choking sensation in her throat. Covering her mouth, she dashed through the closest door, which happened to be the roof access, and shut it quickly behind her.

Wendy slid down the door until she was sitting on the ground and descended into a fit of coughing, her hand still covering her mouth, and tears stung her eyes from the pain in her throat. Why now? she wondered to herself fearfully, drawing her knees up to her chest. Why always at the worst times?

She coughed hard into her hand, feeling it wetting with sticky red liquid. It's happening more frequently now, she noted, her heart rate speeding. Once she had finally calmed down and her coughing ceased, she brought her hand away from her mouth, flinching at the blood that spotted her pale hand. She reached into her purse and pulled out a small packet of wipes she carried for just this kind of emergency and wiped her hand and mouth clean before putting the bloody wipe back into her bag.

Wendy sighed, forcing her heartbeat to slow down before pushing herself back to her feet, her legs shaky and weak. Just my luck that it had to happen at school, she thought bitterly. She reached up to brush her fingers over her windpipe, which still ached horribly from all the coughing she'd just done, and her stomach ached as well, making her feel nauseous and weak. She forced herself to be strong, though, and walked back through the roof access door, glancing at her watch. She could go to the nurse, pass off her lateness on feeling sick, but she decided against it and headed towards her class, settling on the "New student gets lost" cliche. At least it wasn't a lie. It was just half a truth.

Heading down the hall, she decided to talk to Natsu about it later. He would understand.


	2. Halfway Decent

**Hello all! Here's chapter two of To Save A Life! This one is especially long, so I hope you all enjoy it. Hopefully it answers a few of your questions. I'm going to be updating this story every Saturday, depending on my schedule and how much I can write. School starts up in a few weeks.**

**Also, just a quick disclaimer; Wendy's illness in this story is made-up. It's not a real illness, as far as I know. Just thought I should tell you this now. I couldn't find a real disease that covered Wendy's symptoms, so I made one up. I hope this isn't offensive or anything to anyone. Thanks! Please drop a review if you like my story!**

**Guest: I'm not sure what you mean by DS, but no, that's not what Wendy has.**

**CuteFoxSage-NightShadeOwl: Thank you! It's good to hear from you again ;D**

**BlackLynx17: Thanks for reviewing my story! It means a lot! Yes, Doranbolt is pretty friendly in the first chapter, but only because I see him as the friendly type and then more childish around his friends, if that makes any sense. There will be some Wendy/Mest banter in this chapter.**

* * *

Wendy let her legs swing back and forth over the edge of the cold bench she now sat on, humming lightly to herself. Her throat still stung when she talked and swallowed, but at least now the pain was halfway bearable. She knew by the next morning the pain would be completely gone and she would feel healthy again. Where's Natsu? she wondered. It wasn't like him to be late, despite his usual carelessness. She finally spotted her pink-haired cousin running towards her, and she stood up yo meet him, offering him a smile.

Natsu was out of breath by the time he reached her. "Sorry, got in a fight with Gray and lost track of time," he apologized quickly, offering her a smile in return. "Let's go, we gotta catch the bus."

Wendy groaned dramatically as she chased after Natsu. "Once you get your driver's license, can you please drive me to school?" she pleaded.

Natsu grinned and rubbed Wendy's hair. "No problem, Wens. But I actually have to pass the test first."

Wendy shrugged, pausing to wait for the bus with the other students who rode. As she examined the group, she noticed the senior fro her english structure class also waiting. "Mest Gryder..." she murmured to herself.

Natsu glanced down at Wendy curiously. "What're you mumbling about?" he asked. Wendy just shook her head and climbed on the bus, taking the very front seat as usual. Natsu plopped down beside her.

"How was your first day, Wens?" Natsu asked.

"Fine," Wendy replied vaguely. "The people here don't seem very inclusive, though, and the only person who talked to me was a senior."

Natsu nodded. "Just relax a little. People will swarm to you," he promised.

Wendy wasn't reassured, though. She frowned, looking down at her hands, clasped in her lap. "I had an attack at school today," she blurted out. "In between fourth and fifth period, after lunch. I've been getting them more frequently lately."

Natsu's body went rigid, and he bit his lip, his worry and concern clear in his eyes. "You took your medicine this morning, right?" he asked.

Wendy nodded. "I never forget," she murmured in reply. "But it's not helping. At most, it's only delaying the inevitable." she shook her head, eyes downcast.

Natsu grabbed Wendy's hand and squeezed it. "We'll get through this," he said. "We can ask for better medicine, you can have that operation-"

"We can't afford that and you know it!" Wendy interrupted, her tears flowing freely now. "Auntie and Uncle don't have enough money to pay for such an expensive operation."

Natsu gritted his teeth. "Mom and Dad are both working full time to save up money. We could sell things, rent out spare rooms. I could get a job!"

Wendy squeezed Natsu's hand, smiling and wiping her tears away. "I love you, Natsu, and Auntie and Uncle. You all took care of me when I had nowhere to go, even though you knew about my condition, that it was only a matter of time. You don't have to do that for me. You're already too busy."

"Wendy, you're not going to die," Natsu stated firmly. "We won't let you. Besides, we have lots of time, right? RED can take up to thirty years to complete its course."

"That's the maximum time, and I'm already past the minimum twelve years. It could happen any day now. It's getting worse, Natsu," Wendy retorted, fisting her hands in her dress. "I'm having an attack every week now. That's a lot more than the once a month I had last year."

Natsu looked away, and for a moment there was only the sounds of the bus. Then he narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth. "You know I hate these conversations," he complained.

Wendy cracked a smile and shoved her cousin lightly. "Can't stand the thought of having me be more interesting than you?" she teased, trying to lighten the mood.

Natsu let a small smile onto his face. "You wish," he replied, a sparkle of amusement in his eyes. She bus paused at their stop and Wendy shouldered her backpack, taking the lead off the bus. She waited for Natsu before starting down the street, but she stopped suddenly after a while. "Shoot, I forgot my jacket!" she exclaimed, dropping her backpack and sprinting back towards the bus. "Tell Auntie and Uncle where I am! I'll be home in a few minutes!"

Wendy didn't even bother to look to see if Natsu had heard her, just kept running, praying the bus driver would stop and wait for her, or that there was some straggler taking his time to leave the bus.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. Wendy cried out in protest as the doors of the bus closed and it pulled away from the curve, leaving her behind. "Wait!" she gasped, out of breath. The pain in her throat was returning and she swallowed, leaning down to place her hands on her knees.

"You alright?" A large hand touched her shoulder lightly, and Wendy jumped, squeaking in surprise. She hadn't thought there was anyone else at the bus stop.

"I'm fine!" she replied immediately, embarrassed at her jumpiness.. She turned around to face the man talking to her. "I was just-" she trailed off as she looked up at the man's face, her brown eyes meeting his green ones. "Mest!" she exclaimed in surprise.

Mest smiled down at Wendy. "You remembered," he commented good-naturedly. "Sorry if I startled you. I noticed that you left this behind." he held out a bundle of cloth to her. Her jacket. "I was going to give it to you tomorrow, but I'm guessing you noticed."

Wendy blinked in surprise, and her cheeks reddened slightly. "You didn't have to do that," she murmured softly, descending back into her normal shy nature. She reached out and took the jacket from Mest thankfully, tucking it under her arm. "I could have gotten it tomorrow. I have to ride this bus every day, after all."

"Do you lose things often?" Mest teased, and Wendy blushed. "M-Mest! It's not my fault I'm forgetful!"

The man laughed. "Relax, I'm just teasing," he said. "No need to be so uptight."

Wendy frowned and pouted up at Mest, folding her arms over her chest. "Don't be cruel," she replied, pulling her jacket up over her shoulders.

Mest chuckled. "Well, I'm glad I caught up with you," he said with a smile. He glanced at his watch fleetingly. "I have to go, but I'll talk to you tomorrow."

Wendy peered up at Mest. "You want to talk to me again?" she said, slightly shocked at the gesture.

Mest gave Wendy a funny look. "Yeah, why not?" he replied, as if it were obvious. "Just because I'm a senior doesn't mean I can't be friends with a freshman, right? Besides, I like you. You seem pretty nice."

Wendy blushed at the compliment. This was new for her; she had always been Wendy Marvell, that girl who never said anything, and nobody paid any attention to her unless they were being snotty. In fact, she had been certain that when she moved here, she would end up as Wendy Marvell, Natsu Dragneel's baby cousin, the awkward shy girl who couldn't even keep track of her jacket.

Maybe that was a little strong, but that's how she felt. "I'd like that," she said at last, with a kind smile.

Mest returned her smile and bid her goodbye before leaving with a wave. Wendy waved back timidly, still smiling, and let out a long, content sigh. Tugging her jacket around her shoulders, she turned and began to head back towards her house, deep in thought. Maybe Natsu was right, and she should make an effort to be noticed, to make a name for herself.

She was still thinking when she walked into her house, closing the door behind her. "Auntie, Uncle, Natsu, I'm home!" she called.

"Welcome home, dear," Grandine replied from the living room, smiling at her niece. "How was your first day of school?"

"Pretty good, actually," Wendy replied, and reached up to her shoulder to pull her backpack off… only it wasn't there. "Oh shoot, my backpack…!"

"It's right here." Natsu called from the staircase, pointing to where his and Wendy's backpacks were propped up against the wall by the front door. "I thought you would probably forget it."

Wendy sighed in relief. "You're a lifesaver," she said, plopping down on the couch next to her aunt. "I have structure homework, and I don't want to start my year off with a zero."

Grandine nodded. "Igneel is out at the store buying ingredients for dinner, but he should be home in the next hour or so. In the meantime, you have until 9:00 tonight to finish your homework," she said, and Wendy nodded in appreciation, carrying her backpack up to her bedroom and pulling out her english homework.

The rest of the night was fairly typical. Wendy finished her homework quickly and efficiently, packed up her backpack, ate dinner, then went back to her room and pulled out her book to do some reading before bed. At the end of the night she changed into her pajamas and curled up under her covers, quickly falling asleep.

* * *

The next day was as normal as her night had been. She worked quietly and diligently in her classes, and tried to reach out to other girls her age, actually managing to befriend a girl named Chelia Blendy.

Now she walked down the hall with her new friend, heading towards the main entrance of the school. "Are you riding the bus home today, Chelia?" Wendy asked, glancing at her pink-haired friend. She had recently discovered that Chelia rode the same public bus as her and Mest did.

Chelia shook her head. "Today I'm going to my drama club," she explained. "In fact, I should probably go. See you tomorrow, Wendy!"

Wendy waved at Chelia left down the hall, and frowned thoughtfully. A club, huh? she thought to herself. It seemed like a good place to make new friends. She glanced at the bulletin board by the main office, where a list of clubs was posted. She walked over to them and glanced over the list. "Baseball club, student body, broadcasting club…" she murmured to herself. She continued to scan the list until her eyes landed on one particular club. "Chess club?" she thought, pulling a flier from beneath the club's name. She read over the short introduction. "I've never played chess before, but it sounds like fun."

Smiling to herself, Wendy pulled her phone out of her pocket and sent Natsu a quick text. "I'm going to try out chess club, don't wait up!"

The reply came a few minutes later. "Okay, hurry home after! There should be an activity bus to drive you home after the club." Wendy smiled and tucked her phone into her pocket, glancing back at the poster. Spotting the room number, she tucked the paper into her pocket and turned around, heading towards the room.

When Wendy finally found the room, she peeked inside and glanced around. A small group of teenagers, perhaps only about ten or so, mulled around the room, waiting for the club to start. She noticed Lucy, her student buddy, talking with a small blue-haired girl, and cautiously walked into the room.

As if sensing her presence, Lucy looked up from her conversation and towards Wendy. She offered her a broad smile and waved, making her way over. "Wendy, right?" she said. "What brings you to chess club?"

Wendy smiled timidly at the older woman. "I saw the flier on the bulletin board," she explained. "I thought it might be fun to join."

Lucy's smile widened. "Great! You've come to the right place. As you know, I'm Lucy Heartfilia, president of chess club, and this is Levy McGarden, my vice president." she gestured to the small girl beside her, who smiled kindly at her. Wendy would have guessed Levy was a freshman like herself if it wasn't for the yellow patch on her shoulder signifying she was a sophomore.

"Wendy?" A new voice interrupted the conversation, and Wendy turned towards the voice. Mest was standing off to the side, a smile on his face. He made his way towards the small group of girls. "I didn't know you would be here."

Wendy rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "I didn't either, until a little while ago," she replied, suddenly feeling not so shy around Mest.

"Mest is our oldest member, the first one to join the club when Levy and I formed it," Lucy commented with a smile. "I didn't know you two knew each other."

"We've talked a few times," Wendy replied. "So, what do I do now that I'm here?"

Mest grinned at Wendy. "Want to play one with me?" he suggested. "I like to test out the new members' skills."

Wendy swallowed nervously. "Well, um, I suppose…" she answered, and let Mest lead her towards one of the desks that had been set up for the club, the chess set already set up and ready. She sat down across from Mest, shifting in her chair nervously.

"You make the first move," Mest said, gesturing to the board in front of him.

Wendy hesitated for a moment before letting a sheepish smile onto her face. "I've never actually played chess before," she admitted with an embarrassed blush.

Mest looked surprised for a moment, and then chuckled. "I see, a newbie, eh? That's fine, I'll teach you."

* * *

An hour later, and Wendy was halfway decent at chess.

"I couldn't even beat you once," Wendy sighed dejectedly as she balanced her head on her hands, pouting at the senior sitting in front of her.

Mest laughed as he put away the chess pieces. "I've been playing a lot longer than you," he pointed out with an amused glance, fitting the lid of the chess set on. "Chess is a complex game. You can't learn everything in just one hour."

"Still, you could have let me win at least once," Wendy complained, though she couldn't help but crack a smile. She sat up, smoothing her skirt.

"If I let you win, what would become of my reputation?" Mest said in mock seriousness. "Mest Gryder, third best chess player at FEHS, beaten by a rookie! I'd be mortified!"

"Only third best?" Wendy laughed.

Mest shrugged. "I still can't beat Lucy or Levy," he replied. "They're too good for me. But I've only been playing for a few years. Lucy's been playing for six years, and Levy's been playing for eleven. She started when she was six. Isn't that crazy?"

Wendy nodded. "How long have you been playing?" she asked.

"Three years total," Mest replied. "According to Lucy, though, I catch on fast."

Wendy nodded, kicking her legs back and forth restlessly. "One day I'm going to beat you," she promised with a grin. "By the end of this school year, I'm going to be the number three player at FEHS."

Mest laughed, tucking the chess box in with the other sets. "You can try, but that's a pretty big wish," he replied comically, his eyes shining in amusement.

Wendy smiled back, standing up and grabbing her backpack from off the ground. "Well, thanks for teaching me, Mest," she said, a hint of her shyness returning now that her competitive side had receded. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Don't forget that chess club is Tuesdays and Fridays!" Mest called after her. "There's another meeting this Friday!"

Wendy raised her hand as she walked out the door, showing she had heard. She followed the stream of students heading for the activity bus, a content smile on her face. Today had been a good day. She had made a new friend, possibly two, and joined a club.

Yes, today was turning out to be a pretty good day.


	3. What's Going On Here?

**This chapter was exactly 2,500 words, without the Author's note! ;D Sorry for the late update, I didn't have any time yesterday, as I was int eh city with my uncle while he was visiting. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Drop a review and tell me what you think. There's a lot of angst in this, but it's necessary to learn more about Wendy's (made-up) disease. Thanks to all who followed/favorited as well!**

**CuteFoxSage-NightShadeOwl: Well, Wendy is cute, so I write her cute xD I like the mentality of she's growing up but she's still small and kind of childish, so everyone makes fun of her. She's just an adorable character.**

* * *

"Auntie, Uncle, I'm home!" Wendy called as she shut the front door behind her, walking into the family room. "I-" she cut off when she noticed that her aunt and uncle weren't alone in the room. Natsu was also there, sitting on the couch with his parents, and a elderly pink-haired woman sat across from them, her bag laid neatly at her side. A disapproving frown adorned her features.

"Grandma Porly!" Wendy exclaimed in surprise. Porlyusica was Wendy's doctor, and hardly ever came to the house of her own free will.

Porlyusica's frown deepened. "I've told you a hundred times not to call me your grandmother!" the pink-haired doctor snapped. Wendy gave an apologetic smile to the elderly woman and sat down on the couch beside Natsu.

Grandine gave her niece a smile before turning to Porlyusica once more. "What can we do for you?" she asked, folding her hand neatly in her lap. "It's not often you make visits like this."

Porlyusica nodded. "I've come to check up on Wendy's health," she replied. "As of a few weeks ago, Wendy has had Respiratory Expulsion Disorder for fourteen years, am I correct?"

Igneel swallowed and gave a small nod. "Yes, her fourteenth birthday was two and a half weeks ago, right before she moved in with us," the red-haired man answered, a grim expression on his face.

Porlyusica pulled her bag onto her lap, fishing a large folder from inside. "This is the file of every RED case reported in Fiore," she explained, rifling through the papers. "I'm a bit concerned about Wendy's current health. From now until about her twenty-fifth birthday, she is at high risk for developing Stage 4 RED."

Wendy froze, her breath hitching in her throat. She was well aware that she was at risk, but it still pained her to hear that. "How can you know for sure?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly.

Porlyusica pulled a small wad of papers from her folder, secured with a paper clip. "Your files show that from birth you've had RED. When you turned five you were diagnosed with Stage 2 RED, meaning excessive coughing and sore throats, vulnerability towards illness, difficult breathing and dizzy spells, and when you turned nine you developed Stage 3 RED. Coughing up large amounts of blood, weakness in the arms and legs, and even small tears in the tissue of your lungs, stomach and throat. This is, of course, natural for RED patients." she paused, tapping the papers on her lap to straighten them. "What I'm concerned about is your reportedly increasing number of RED attacks in the past several months. You've reported at least two in two weeks, sometimes three."

Wendy swallowed and nodded. "I had an attack yesterday," she murmured. "The second one this month, and it's only the eleventh."

Porlyusica pulled another, smaller pile of papers from her folder. "This," she began, her finger trailing along the edges of the pages. "Is your mother's file."

Immediately Wendy wanted to leave the room. Any and all mention of her mother made her want to burst out crying, and she had to blink back her tears. She sought Natsu's hand beside her and squeezed it tightly for reassurance, her chest tightening painfully. "My… mother?" she choked out in a harsh whisper.

Porlyusica nodded, pulling a page out of the stack. "Lyra Marvell, x754-x786, thirty-two years old at death," she read off the paper. "Thirty-two years is a long time for a RED patient to live. The average age at death is usually around twenty-five." she replaced the papers in her folder.

Natsu clenched his teeth, glaring at Porlyusica. "What exactly are you trying to tell us?" he demanded. "Are you trying to say my baby cousin is going to die?!"

"Natsu…" Wendy murmured, a tear rolling down her cheek. Besides being her cousin, Natsu was like her lifeline, and it hurt her to see him so angry, an underlying layer of fear on his face.

"Unless she gets the operation, yes," Porlyusica replied bluntly, sliding her files into her bag once more. "There's only so much our medicine can do. Without medicine, Wendy would have died long ago, probably within the first ten years of her life. We've managed to prolog most of our patients' lives by more than ten years through this medicine, but there's only so much we can do. The operation is the only sure thing left."

Grandine bit her lip, pain in her eyes. "We can't afford the operation!" she argued. "There must be something else we can do! Some other medicine, a new treatment?"

Porlyusica just shook her head sadly. Grandine stood up, her fists clenched at her sides. "I promised Lyra that I would protect Wendy!" she yelled, her voice rising. "I promised her on her deathbed that I would save her only child from meeting the same fate! And you're telling me that it's hopeless?!"

Wendy's tears flowed freely now, and she buried her face in her hands, her small frame shaking with sobs. Natsu wrapped his arm around Wendy comfortingly. "We won't let her die," he stated, drawing the adults' attention. Igneel, who had thus far been silent, turned to look at his son in surprise. Natsu didn't look angry or sad anymore; in fact, he looked completely calm, a fierce determination in his eyes. "We'll have the operation."

"Natsu, we can't-" Igneel began, but Natsu cut his father off.

"I'll get a job! I'll work full time! I'll drop out of school if I have to!" he yelled, and Wendy lifted her face from her hands, staring up at Natsu in shock. "But I won't let Wendy die!"

"Natsu," Grandine warned, touching her son's shoulder gently. "You have school to focus on right now. You can't get a job."

Porlyusica sighed, shouldering her bag. "If you want work so badly, you can come work for me at the hospital," she said. "We're in need of a part-time assistant to do things like give the patients their daily medicine and controlling visitors."

Natsu grinned, relief clear on his face. "How much will it pay?" he asked eagerly.

"About ten to fifteen dollars an hour," Porlyusica answered. "You'd be working from directly after school to about eight or nine in the evening. Are you sure that you're up for it?"

Wendy's face fell. "That's his entire day!" she argued. "Even if he took the job-" Wendy trailed off as Natsu laid his hand on her shoulder, silencing her.

"I'll take it," he interrupted, squeezing Wendy's shoulder. "I'll just have to do homework on the bus ride home, and at night."

Wendy's felt tears come to her eyes once more, and she sniffed. "You don't have to do that for me," she insisted. "It's not worth it."

Natsu flashed Wendy his characteristic grin, squeezing her shoulder. "I'll be fine, Wens. As long as you can stay alive, I'll do anything." without waiting for an answer, he turned back to Porlyusica. "I'll start tomorrow, if that's alright with you."

For a moment, the ghost of a smile graced Porlyusica's features. "Your loyalty to your family is admirable," she commented. "Very well. Be at Fiore East Hospital as soon as you can tomorrow afternoon. We can discuss further arrangements then." she headed for the door, giving a small wave as she exited the house, closing the door silently behind her.

For a long moment everyone just stared at the door where Porlyusica had been seconds ago, and then Grandine let out a choked sound and sunk onto the couch, covering her face with her hands. "What will happen to my family now?" she sobbed, her body shaking.

Natsu sat down on the couch next to his mother and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "We're going to be just fine."

* * *

Wendy was fairly down in the dumps for the next few days. Everything was routine; wake up in the morning, eat, go to school, ride the bus home, do homework, eat again, and wait for Natsu to come home from his new job.

"Wendy!" Grandine's voice drifted into Wendy's bedroom as she sat looking out the window, a pair of earbuds in her ears. It wasn't even late; in fact, it was very early in the morning, but the feeling still made her depressed. Reluctantly, the small bluenette pulled the white devices out of her ears, cutting off the music.

"Yes, Auntie?" she called back, poling her head out of her bedroom door.

Grandine smiled up at her niece from the bottom of the stairs. "Your uncle and I made brown sugar bumps! Would you like some?"

Sighing, Wendy rolled her earbuds into a ball and left them on her bed. "Coming!" she called. She glanced in the mirror, plastering a smile onto her face. Once she decided she looked convincing, she headed down the stairs to where her aunt and uncle where waiting, a tray of brown sugar bumps on the kitchen counter. Wendy snatched two from the tray and took a bite of one, relishing the taste of peanut butter and brown sugar. "Thanks, Auntie," she sighed. "I needed something sweet."

"I bet Natsu fell asleep again," Igneel sighed, making his way over to the stairs. "Natsu!" he yelled loudly. "Get your lazy butt down here!"

Igneel was answered with a loud groan followed by the sound of something heavy hitting the ground. Igneel sighed loudly and smacked his forehead with one hand. "I'll be right back," he grumbled, making his way up the stairs.

Grandine sighed. "Well, why don't you head out?" she suggested, turning to Wendy. "Natsu will be out there soon."

Wendy nodded and shouldered her backpack, heading out of the door. She sighed heavily as she made her way towards the bus stop, glancing ahead at the group already waiting. She waved to Chelia as she approached the group, and the pinkette waved back, walking forward to meet her friend halfway.

"Good morning, Wendy," Chelia greeted. She glanced over Wendy's shoulder and frowned. "Where's Natsu?" she asked, noticing the boisterous pinkette was nowhere to be found.

"He's running a little late," Wendy answered with a sheepish smile, tightening one of her ponytails restlessly. "If he misses the bus, Auntie and Uncle will drive him."

Chelia nodded. "Well, I hope he makes it," she said, glancing down the road to where the bus was rounding the corner. "But… maybe not…"

Wendy giggled and tugged on Chelia's wrist. "It's fine. Natsu's parents are really nice. They'll drive him," she assured, climbing onto the bus and sliding into her usual seat. Chelia sat down next to her, setting her backpack on the floor in front of her.

Wendy sighed softly and leaned her head on the window, closing her eyes briefly. "I'm beat," she murmured. "I was up super late last night." she had actually been waiting for Natsu to come home, but had unfortunately fallen asleep before her cousin returned at near midnight.

As if reading her thoughts, Chelia poked Wendy teasingly. "Waiting for Natsu to come home from his job?" she guessed.

Wendy batted Chelia's hand away, pouting at her friend. "Ever since his new job, he's barely ever around anymore. I only see him at night, and last night he was gone until midnight. I'm worried about him. He's not getting enough sleep and he's not eating very much either. He's always exhausted from working for Porlyusica. That woman is way too hard on him." she couldn't help but feel guilty as she talked about Natsu's job, knowing that the only reason he was working at all was to pay for her operation.

Chelia nodded. "Well, it can't be helped," she pointed out. "He'll get used to it soon, I'm sure."

Wendy just shrugged in response. Natsu was making plenty of money, sure, but it would be a long time before they had enough money to pay for her operation, which would cost several hundred thousand jewel. _Now that I think about it, I haven't had an attack in nearly a week,_ she thought. She frowned; that usually meant that one was sure to come soon.

"Wendy!" Chelia's voice snapped Wendy out of her thoughts. "We're here! Wake up already!"

"I'm awake!" Wendy replied hastily. "Sorry, I was just thinking."

Chelia snorted. "More like spacing out," she replied, grabbing Wendy's arm. "Come on, before the bus leaves!" Chelia dragged Wendy off the bus and towards the school.

The two friends parted ways at the entrance of the school, Wendy heading towards her locker. She opened it quickly and pulled out her english books, balancing them on her hip as she closed the locker once more and locked it. She sighed as she headed towards her class and dropped her books off, sitting down in her desk.

Mest entered the classroom soon after her, and she gave him a quick smile as he sat down next to her. "Good morning, Mest," she greeted, doodling idly in her english notebook as she waited for class to begin.

"Morning," Mest replied, plopping down in his own seat. "Did you practice your chess yesterday like I suggested?" there was a teasing glint in his eyes.

Wendy pouted. "I'm not that bad," she insisted. "I tried playing with my uncle, but he didn't get it. It ended up being me teaching him instead of me practicing." she sighed, shaking her head. "Next time I'm asking Auntie."

Mest chuckled, slinging one arm over the back of his chair. "Oh well. Maybe Lucy or Levy can give you some tips today after school," he suggested.

"That's right, today is Friday!" Wendy exclaimed. The days all seemed to blend together for her lately. "Yeah, maybe," she agreed, then abruptly paused, her smile fading. It's back. Feeling the familiar choking sensation in her throat, she hastily stood up.

Mest glanced up as she stood suddenly. "Is something wrong, Wendy? You look pale," he said, his eyebrows furrowing in concern.

Wendy forced a smile, flashing it at Mest quickly. "I'm fine," she managed to croak out. "Be right back." she grabbed her purse and ran out of the room, covering her mouth with one hand as she went. A few small coughs escaped her, but she willed it to wait until she was safely in the bathroom.

"Wendy!" Mest called after her. Her stood up as if to follow her, then paused. _What's going on here?_


	4. I Promise

**Hey guys! Sorry for the late update, but my computer was out of commission yesterday. I've almost finished with the whole story! I'm on posibly the last chapter, but we'll see, there's a lot of stuff I want to happen at the end. It should be about 15-16 chapters if I choose to end it where I am. But who knows, maybe another scenario will pop into my head.**

**Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Sorry is the whole chess club thing sounds random, because it really is just something I randomly chose. It seemed like something Wendy would enjoy. /shrug/**

**CuteFoxSage-NightShadeOwl: Really? xD I'm actually kind of glad it made you emotional, it means I portrayed the situation well! Thanks for reviewing, it means a lot to me!**

**Guest: Your wish is granted... kind of c;**

* * *

Wendy shut the stall door behind her with a loud bang, retreating to the corner and collapsing against the wall, her coughing becoming stronger. She pulled a wad of tissue from her purse and covered her mouth with her, her hand already stained with crimson spots of blood. Tears rolled down her cheeks, mixing with the blood on her lips and creating crimson streaks on her chin and neck. She coughed violently into the napkin, her arms shaking so badly that her skin tingled. Her vision blurred momentarily, and her chest felt alarmingly hollow. _Somebody… help me!_

"Wendy!" The bluenette's eyes shot open at the sound of a voice calling her name. _Mest? What is he doing…?_ she thought, panicking slightly. She descended into another violent fit of coughing, her eyes closing once more as she sheer force of her spasms threw her head forward into her lap. "Wendy, are you okay?"

Wendy could hear the desperation and concern in Mest's voice as he yelled to her from outside the bathroom, but she lacked the voice to call back to him, her coughing making her nearly unable to breath. Her vision swam once more, the setting around her moving in and out of her focus.

"Wendy, if you don't answer me, I'm going to come in there!" Mest yelled once more. Wendy forced herself to calm down; Mest couldn't know about this. She already knew what happened when she told her friends she had a terminal illness. She swallowed the urge to cough, taking a deep breath.

"I'm alright, Mest," she choked out, her voice hoarse and almost unrecognizable. "I just… feel a little nauseous."

There was silence from outside, and for a moment Wendy wondered if Mest had left her. Then there was a long, drawn out sigh, and Mest's voice returned. "Want me to call the nurse?" he asked, sounding both exhausted and relieved. "I could take you down there."

Wendy smiled weakly. He's sweet. "It's okay," she replied. "I'll come back to class in a second."

Mest groaned audibly, and Wendy could imagine the frustrated look on his face. "You're so stubborn. I'll wait for you and walk you back," he said.

Wendy blinked momentarily in surprise, letting the cloth drop from her mouth. By now her coughing had ceased, though her throat and stomach was killing her. "A-Alright," she agreed after a moment. She pulled a compact mirror and a wipe from her bag and quickly wiped the blood from her face, tucking it into her purse when she finished. Pushing herself up weakly, she staggered towards the door of her bathroom stall and forced herself to calm down as she exited the restroom.

Mest looked up as Wendy exited the restroom, frowning at her. "You really should go to the nurse," he fretted, taking a step towards her. Without warning, he reached up and laid the palm of his hand on her forehead. "You're cold, and your face is white. You look like you can barely stand, too. Why did you even come to school?"

Wendy blushed, looking down at her feet. "I don't need a nurse," she insisted. "I'm just nauseous. I just need to sit down for a little while, and then I'll be fine, I promise." she glanced up at Mest once more, wondering if he believed her.

It seemed not. Mest still looked suspicious, her eyebrows furrowed in concern. His eyes drifted down to her hand, resting at her side, and he reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her hand up, her palm towards the ceiling. "if you were nauseous, then what's this?" he asked.

Wendy's heart rate sped when she noticed what he was talking about. Her hand was streaked with blood, staining her skin scarlet. Her lip quivered, but no words escaped her mouth.

Mest's expression hardened. "That's it, we're going to the nurse," he said firmly, pulling Wendy forcefully from the bathroom.

"No!" Wendy yelled, pulling her wrist from Mest's grip. "I won't go!"

Mest turned in surprise, not quite sure how to respond. Wendy wasn't the kind of girl to yell; she was usually so quiet. Wendy swallowed, wiping away the tears that threatened to spill. "It's a long story, but I can't go to the nurse. They can't help me anyway."

Mest frowned deeply. "I think you need to explain something to me," he said.

For a moment Wendy felt angry that Mest would blatantly invade her privacy like that, but he was only worried about her, and she knew that. She sighed, feeling defeated. "I'll tell you today, at chess club," she relented finally, refusing to meet Mest's eyes. "Can we… Can we go back to class now?"

Mest sighed, running his hand over his close-cropped hair. "Alright," he said, taking a few steps to pass Wendy and head towards the classroom. He paused for a moment while he was beside her, and a small smile graced his features. He reached up and laid his hand on Wendy's head, rubbing her hair lightly. "You're quite a piece of work, aren't you?"

* * *

Wendy blushed as she recalled the events of that morning. She groaned softly and laid her head on her arms as she sat at lunch. Unfortunately, Chelia didn't have the same lunch as her, so she was forced to sit by herself, awkwardly poking at her food and hoping nobody noticed she was on her own.

Unfortunately, her one wish was ignored. The sound of someone clearing their throat made Wendy raise her head, and she instantly recognized the small girl. "Levy!" she exclaimed.

Levy smiled at Wendy, sitting on the edge of the table's bench. "My friends and I couldn't help but notice you were on your own. Do you want to join us for lunch?" she asked.

Wendy gave Levy a smile and nodded slightly, though she inwardly hoped there would be people she knew. Perhaps Lucy would be there? If that was the case, maybe even Natsu? She stood up and followed Levy back to her table, holding her tray in both hands.

Sure enough, she could spot Natsu's pink hair across the cafeteria, Lucy's blond pigtails next to him. Levy squeezed between two boys that looked to be her age, and Wendy slid in next to Lucy, feeling awkward. "Um, hello," she greeted.

"Wens!" Natsu greeted, giving his younger cousin a wave. "Come to join us?"

"Isn't it obvious?" A dark-haired boy answered for her, crossing his arms over his, notably, bare chest. He scowled at Natsu, looking down on the pinkette over his nose.

Natsu made a sound between a hiss and a growl, scowling right back. "I don't want your two-cents, Fullbuster!" he snapped. Wendy sweat-dropped; based on Natsu's attitude, she guessed that this was Gray. Natsu was constantly raving about how Gray was "so irritating".

"Natsu! Gray! I will allow no fighting when we're trying to eat our lunch!" A redheaded woman interrupted, glaring daggers at the two teens. Unlike most of the people at the table, she had the blue patch of a senior on her uniform's jacket, as did the white-haired woman next to her.

"Erza, there's no need to scold them so much," the woman said, the smile on her face contradicting her somewhat concerned tone. "They're just boys, after all."

Erza grunted. "Indeed, Mirajane. But they could at least have the decency to fight somewhere where no one will get hurt," she insisted.

"Mira-nee, you should let it go," chimed a voice from the other side of Natsu. A second white-haired girl, a sophomore who must have been Mirajane's younger sister, poked her head out into the table. "You know how Erza gets sometimes."

"Anyway," Natsu interrupted, cutting off his friends. "You've met Lucy and Levy, and I'm guessing you know Gray, Mirajane and Erza by now. Over here is Lisanna, Mira's little sister, and over by Levy are Jet and Droy. Across from Levy is Gajeel, and the blue-haired girl by Gray is Juvia." he paused. "Speaking of Gray, put a shirt one, you goddamn stripper!" he yelled suddenly, throwing a bundle of cloth at Gray's face.

Gray caught the shirt effortlessly and threw it over his shoulders, still glaring. "Says the guy who showed up at school this morning half-dressed!" he accused in return, buttoning up the shirt before throwing on his jacket.

A vein popped on Natsu's forehead and the pink-haired boy's fists tightened. He jumped up from his seat to face Gray. "It's not my fault! I was up till midnight yesterday!" he defended himself. "Besides, at least I remember to get dressed in the morning, and then I keep those clothes on!"

"Enough!" Erza boomed, and Natsu froze, halfway to punching Gray in the face. He turned his head slightly, eyes wide, to look at Erza. The redhead was glaring sharply at him, her presence intimidating. "Stop your fighting this instant!"

Natsu reluctantly sank back down in his seat. "Y-Yes, ma'am," he said.

Ma'am? Wendy repeated in her head. This woman must be something, to get Gray and Natsu to stop fighting so quickly. She let a smile grace her lips as she watched the scene unfold. _This is certainly a rowdy bunch of friends._

Lucy turned to Wendy a smiled. "You're Natsu's cousin, right?" she said. "What brings you to Fiore East?"

Natsu seemed to tense when he heard this, and cast a quick glance at Wendy. The bluenette just smiled in return. "Change of scenery," she replied. "I was having some troubles at my old school and thought it would be a good idea to try another school."

Lucy nodded. "I see. Gajeel and Juvia did the same thing," she said. "They used to go to Fiore West, but transferred here last year."

Juvia nodded. "Juvia and Gajeel were quite popular at FWHS, but they decided to come here," she added. "They were not appreciated at Fiore West."

Gajeel made no move to speak, but looked on with a stern expression on his face, his muscular arms crossed.

Wendy glanced down at her hands. "It's a long story that I prefer not to tell," she said, warding off any questions her new friends might have.

"We respect that," Lucy said, leaning back in her chair.

Wendy gave a grateful smile. "Thanks."

After school that day, Wendy waited by the door to chess club, waiting for Mest to show up. A few times, she considered just walking home and abandoning the whole idea of telling him, but she knew that would only delay the inevitable. Right now, he had a right to know, and she had an obligation to tell him. She took a deep breath, steeling her nerves and thinking in her head how to tell him that she was dying.

At promptly 3:00, Mest turned the corner and into Wendy's field of view. For a brief moment their eyes met, and then Wendy tore her gaze away. She heard Mest's footsteps approaching her and looked up once again when she heard them stop. Her eyes trailed up until they met his eyes again. "Ready to talk?" he asked.

Wendy gulped and nodded. "Not here though. Somewhere private," she replied.

Mest nodded and motioned for Wendy to follow him, heading around the corner and into a small hallway, out of the way of any students on their way to clubs. He turned to look down at Wendy expectantly, and for the first time, his superior height made her feel tiny and insignificant.

Wendy hesitated a moment, searching for the right words to begin her story. "Well, I…" she began, and trailed off. Her heart clenched, and she bit her lip; she didn't want him to know. She wanted Mest to be her friend, but she was knew if she told him he would stay away from her. "I… have chronic bronchitis."

It was a lie, one so far from the truth that it made her want to immediately apologize. She hated lying, more than anything. "But I hate nurses. So, I'm sorry… if I overreacted."

Mest blinked. "That's it? Bronchitis? Why didn't you tell me sooner?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "It's not your fault if you have chronic bronchitis, but if you had bronchitis you should have stayed home today."

"If I stayed home every time I had bronchitis, I'd miss too much school," Wendy lied, rubbing one arm with her other hand. She refused to meet Mest's eyes, instead focusing on a miscolored tile on the floor of the hallway in front of her. It should have been brown, but instead it was a cream color, standing out amongst the other tiles. "Besides, it's not a big deal. I know how to take care of it."

Mest sighed, running a hand through his his hair. "You had me really worried, Wendy," he murmured. "Running out like that, acting like you had some sort of big secret, I didn't know what to think."

"Sorry," Wendy replied softly, looking down. She closed her eyes when she felt slight pressure on her head, and looked up to see that Mest had rested his hand on her head and was ruffling her hair lightly. He refused to look down at her, but there was a smile on his face. "Just don't do it again, okay?"

Wendy let a small smile onto her face. "Okay. I promise."


	5. Maybe Just A Little

**Hey guys! Again, sorry for the late updates. I'm still getting used to updating on Saturdays. This chapter is more or less a filler, but it's got a lot of cute Natsu and Wendy family moments as well as Nalu fluffiness :3 I hope you like! Please drop a review if you liked it; I love to hear your feedback!**

**CuteFoxSage-NightShadeOwl: haha, Wendy obviously isn't keen on sharing her secret.**

**Guest: xDD you're right, she should! But she won't, 'cause I'm the author x3 I've always pictured Wendy as being a little insecure about her flaws, unwilling to share.**

* * *

"Sorry we're late!" Mest called as he led the way into the chess club's room. Lucy looked up from where she was engaged in a game with Levy, a smile on her face.

"What took you guys so long?" she asked, turning back to her game and moving one of her pieces. "Checkmate!" she said, a triumphant grin on her face.

Levy blinked in surprise, examining the board. "What? You're kidding!" she exclaimed, and then a grin spread onto her face. "Congratulation, Lucy. You finally beat me."

Wendy peered over Lucy's shoulder. "Wow, Lucy, you actually beat her?"

Lucy nodded. "I've been practicing," she said.

Levy rolled her eyes. "That was a fluke," she said, beginning to set up the board once more. "Beat me five times in a row and I'll be willing to sacrifice my title."

"No time for another game," Lucy sighed. "Maybe we can get together and play a few games." she turned to Wendy. "When Levy and I play, it takes over half an hour for someone to win. But I have time for a short game or two. Wanna try me out?" she gestured to the board, where Levy was setting up for another game.

"I-I guess," Wendy replied timidly, settling into the chair opposite Lucy. She reached out and helped Lucy set up the chess pieces. "I'm not very good though. I just started on Tuesday."

Lucy flashed Wendy a quick smile. "That's alright. I'll go easy on you, but that doesn't mean I'll let you win," she replied with a friendly wink. The two began playing, focusing solely on the game. Then Lucy spoke up again, a sly smile on her face. "So, it seems like you and Mest are getting along," she commented as she made her move.

Wendy's eyes widened in surprise. "Getting along? W-Well, I guess we are…" she stuttered, her face reddening. "I mean, Mest is cool and all, and he's really nice, and he's a senior."

Lucy grinned at Wendy, resting her chin in her hands. "You totally like him!" she exclaimed suddenly, her eyes sparkling. "Oh, that's so cute!"

Wendy's face burned, and she was sure it was bright red now. "L-Lucy! T-That's so not true!" she insisted, waving her hands in an attempt to emphasize her point. "Yeah, Mest is nice and all, but we barely know each other! Besides, he's a senior and I'm a freshman! It just wouldn't work out."

Lucy pouted. "Aw, come on. Sometimes Mest acts like a freshman, if that helps you any," she suggested. "Besides, you're fourteen and he's seventeen. That's only a three year difference. Why, is there someone else on your mind?" she inquired.

"I'm too young for this kind of thing!" Wendy insisted, fighting down her fierce blush. "And what about you? Do you have a special someone? Maybe a boyfriend?"

Lucy didn't reply, but a slight color came to her cheeks and she looked down. Wendy gasped in delight. "It's Natsu, isn't it?" she whisper-shouted. "Now that I could see! Natsu always talks about you! He might be a little on the clueless side, and he's horribly reckless, but he's super protective and so lovable, don't you think?" she was really enjoying teasing her blond friend now.

"W-Wendy!" Lucy hissed, reaching across the table to cover Wendy's mouth. "Okay, I admit it, okay? Maybe I like Natsu, just a little. But you can absolutely not tell anyone, especially Natsu! Promise me, okay?"

Wendy giggled at her friend's antics. The reached up and drew an "x" over her chest, giving Lucy a reassuring smile. "Cross my heart and hope to die," she replied. Lucy still looked nervous, though, so Wendy held out her hand, pinky extended. "If you want we can pinky promise too," she suggested, a humorous glint in her eye.

Lucy cracked a smile. "Honestly Wendy, you're so childish," she sighed, feeling defeated, but she stuck out her pinky and hooked it with Wendy's, sealing the promise. "Thanks."

Wendy winked at Lucy and glanced at the clock. "Shoot, club's almost over," she said, quickly moving one of her chess pieces.

Lucy grinned. "Well, in that case," she mused, making her move just as quickly. "Checkmate! I win!"

Wendy's eyes widened as she examined the board. "In one move? Is that even possible?" she complained, pouting.

Lucy giggled. "I told you, didn't I? Now that I might possibly replace Levy as number one chess player at FEHS, I have to uphold that title! You're not bad, though. You're a natural, in fact. You just need some practice, and then you'll become an ace."

Wendy sighed and stood up. "Well, thank you anyway, Lucy," she said, adjusting her purse on her hip as she did. "I'll see you all on Monday, then!"

"Bye, Wendy! Tell Natsu I said hi!" Levy called, waving as their newest member left the classroom. Wendy waved back as she left, feeling her heart warm. She had friends now, real friends that listened to her and treated her as an equal and not like some kid!

"Wendy!" The small bluenette glanced over her shoulder curiously when she heard her name called, spotted Mest jogging to catch up with her. Wendy paused in her walking to allow Mest to catch up.

Wendy smiled as Mest approached. "Did you need something?" she asked politely.

Mest nodded. "A small group of friends and I are going out roller skating tomorrow and I wanted to know if you wanted to come along. I think you already know a few of them; it'll be me, Natsu, Sherry Blendy, Mirajane Strauss, Natsu's friend Romeo, and my friend Lahar. Sherry said she might bring her cousin Chelia with her as well, and Lucy might come along if she's free." he paused, grinning down at Wendy. "You in?"

Wendy blinked in surprise. Mest wanted her to hang out with him and his friends? She knew some of the people in the group, which was reassuring. "You have a diverse group of friends," she commented. Among that group was three freshmen, two sophomores, two juniors and two seniors. "Sure, I'm in."

Mest grinned. "Yeah, I get around," he agreed, winking at her. "Great! We're meeting at the roller rink at nine in the morning tomorrow, and we were thinking of going to lunch afterward."

"Sounds like a blast," Wendy said with a smile. "I'll definitely be there!"

* * *

When Wendy returned home, she was surprised to find the house empty. "Auntie? Uncle?" she called, but there was no response. Wandering into the kitchen, she noticed a note on the kitchen counter, and upon reading it, saw that it was for her. "Dear Wendy, went out for a movie and dinner, be back later," she read aloud, and frowned. Now she was alone in the house, with nothing to do.

Sighing, Wendy retreated to her bedroom, pulling a book off of her shelf to read. She sat in her room reading for about an hour when she heard the sound of the front door opening.

Immediately her heart started to beat faster. Auntie and Uncle weren't supposed to be home until late tonight, so who could it be? Not Natsu, he was working today. "What if it's a robber?" she thought to herself, her chest tightening.

Standing up, Wendy crept to the railing of the stairway and peered down at where the door was closing. Spotting a head of pink hair, Wendy gasped and smiled brightly. "Natsu!" she cried, running down the stairs to meet her cousin. She wrapped her arms around his waist. "You're home early! What's going on?"

Natsu grinned and rubbed Wendy's head. "I got the rest of the day off!" he explained. "I wanted to surprise you all! Where's mom and dad?" he peered around the room, but his parents were nowhere to be seen.

"Auntie and Uncle are out on a date," Wendy explained. "Right now it's just us." she smiled brightly. "So, what do you wanna do?"

Natsu grinned down at his cousin. "Wanna watch a movie?" he suggested. "There's popcorn in the cupboard." he paused, thinking. "What movie do you want to watch?"

"Spirited Away!" Wendy said instantly. "It's my favorite!"

Natsu sighed. "I know already. You've only watched it a hundred times." there was a smile on his face, however, and he pulled the DVD from on top of the TV and popped the disk into the disk player. Wendy cheered as the title screen popped up, running and jumping onto the couch.

Natsu chuckled and ruffled Wendy's hair affectionately. "You're such a child," he teased.

"You can't pretend to hate Studio Ghibli, can you?" Wendy replied, swatting Natsu's hand away. "And I'm not a child! I'm fourteen!"

"Then you're a child in a teenager's body," Natsu corrected himself. "What's your real age, hm? Seven?"

"Natsu!" Wendy whined, pouting, but before she could say anything, the movie started. "Be quiet! It's starting!" she hissed, pulling a blanket from off the floor and wrapping it around her shoulders. Natsu shook his head and sighed, finally getting a chance to relax. He closed his eyes briefly as the music of the movie filled the space. Wendy snuggled up against her cousin, enjoying their time together. "I'm glad you're home," she murmured.

The two sat in relative silence throughout the movie, the only voice heard being Wendy's quoting the movie. "I think I can handle it," Wendy quoted as the TV screen went black and the movie ended. She smiled broadly, stretching and sitting up. "I love that movie," she sighed, turning to Natsu. "How can you not love that movie?" There was no answer from the pink-haired teen, however, and Wendy frowned in confusion. "Natsu?" she murmured, touching the boy's shoulder gently. She was answered with a soft snore. Wendy blinked, then smiled softly. "You work too hard," she whispered, pulling her blanket off and draping it over Natsu's sleeping frame. She glanced at the clock. It was almost 6:00, so she fixed herself a quick macaroni dinner and watched television until it was time for bed. At the end of the day, she curled up under the covers of her bed and quickly fell asleep.

* * *

The next morning, Wendy's phone alarm went off at seven-thirty in the morning. Wendy groaned and covered her ear with one hand, groping for her phone with the other as she fought to find the source of the noise. Finding her phone at last, she hastily turned off the wretched alarm and sat up, rubbing her eyes tiredly and stretching. "Time to wake up," she mumbled to herself as she reluctantly dragged herself out of bed.

Wendy made her way downstairs quietly, so as not to disturb her aunt and uncle sleeping upstairs. Natsu remained sprawled out on the couch, snoring softly, and Wendy giggled lightly as she made her way over to him.

"Natsu, wake up," Wendy coaxed as she shook her older cousin awake, tugging the blanket off him. "We're meeting Mest and his friends today, remember?"

Natsu moaned in protest and rolled onto his stomach, burying his face in his arms in hope that Wendy would leave him be. When she didn't, he reluctantly dragged himself off of the couch and rubbed his face. "It's too damn early," he complained.

Wendy rolled her eyes as she dug around in the cupboard for breakfast, pulling out a box of cereal. "No earlier than you wake up for school," she replied. "Besides, we have to be at the roller rink at nine, and it's a bit of a walk."

"Remind me why we're walking," Natsu grumbled, resting his head on the table.

"Because the buses don't pick up that early on the weekends, at least not in our part of the neighborhood, and the roller rink is only a fifteen minute walk on foot, so I don't want to bother Auntie and Uncle about it," Wendy replied, sticking some bread in the toaster and pouring a bowl of cereal for Natsu. "Eat fast and then get dressed. We need to be out the door by eight-forty."

Natsu sighed heavily and lifted his head, resting it on one hand and picking up his spoon to eat. "I don't know how you have this much energy in the mornings," he said, playing with his breakfast a little before taking a bite.

Wendy giggled and winked at him. "It's a gift," she said. She pulled the now-brown toast out of the toaster and laid the pieces on plates for the two of them, grabbing butter before making her way back to the table and sitting to pour herself some cereal.

"You'll make a great mom someday," Natsu commented, grabbing the butter and slathering a generous amount on his toast. "If only you made breakfast for me every day."

Wendy rolled her eyes. "You wish," she said, tapping her spoon on the table. "Eat your breakfast."

The two ate breakfast in silence, and Wendy checked the clock when she finished. Plenty of time for her to get ready. She didn't know quite why, but she wanted to look her best when she met Mest today. "I'm gonna get dressed," she announced, hurrying up the stairs and into her room, closing the door behind her. She picked up the outfit she picked out the night before and changed into it. It was a pretty outfit, a flowing green dress that reached her knees, with a sleeveless halter top that showed off her slim shoulders. She weaved her hair into a long braid, the final product hanging almost all the way down her back, and slipped on a pair of pale yellow flats that matched her dress. She made sure to wear a pair of shorts under her dress, short ones that were well hidden, knowing full well she'd be doing a lot of falling today. To finish off her look, she put on her favorite necklace, a simple glass bead shaped like a teardrop, strung on a piece of see-through elastic. It was very simple and plain, even cheap, but she didn't care; it was her favorite anyway.

When she looked at the clock again, it was eight-thirty. She quickly grabbed her purse and exited her room. As she descended the stairs, she spotted Natsu already waiting on the couch by the front door, his foot tapping impatiently. He glanced up as Wendy approached and grinned. "You look cute, Wens," he complimented.

Wendy smiled, a faint blush on her cheeks. "Thanks," she replied. "If you're ready, let's go." she headed to the door, Natsu close behind her, and headed for the sidewalk. "Let's go!"


	6. Like An Old Married Couple

**Hello everyone! Here's chapter six of To Save A Life! I hope you all enjoy it c:**

**CuteFoxSage-NightShadeOwl: Hehe :3 thanks for reviewing!**

**Guest: Your first guess is pretty close actually haha**

* * *

"Mind if we pick up Lucy on the way there?" Natsu asked, glancing down at his cousin. "She doesn't live too far away, and she didn't have a ride. I told her I'd walk with her."

Wendy smiled. "Sure, no problem," she replied. "Do I have a choice in the first place?" She knew if she refused, which she never would, that Natsu would just do it anyway.

Natsu laughed. "You have a point there," he said. "Her house is just down the street and to the right."

Wendy nodded and picked up the pace; she wanted to be on time to hang out with Mest. "This one, right?" she said, pointing to the house. Natsu nodded, and the bluenette approached the front door of the house, knocking lightly on the front door.

Lucy answered the door quickly and smiled. "Thanks for picking me up, guys," she said. She called goodbye to her parents before closing the door behind her.

"Let's go!" Wendy cheered, and the three of them walked down the sidewalk and towards their destination. She clasped her hands together behind her back, humming lightly at she walked and looking around.

Lucy glanced down at Wendy curiously. "You're awfully happy today," she commented. Wendy just smiled in reply and shrugged. Lucy giggled. "Are you excited to meet Mest?"

The comment made Wendy blush and remember the talk she and Lucy had had the previous afternoon at chess club. "Well, yes, but not in the way you're implying," she replied carefully, touching her cheeks with her hands. They were indeed warm.

Lucy giggle. "You're fun to tease," she said. "I'm not suggesting you have a crush on Mest. I'm only wondering if you're excited." she mischievous glint in her eyes said otherwise, however, and Wendy knew it.

"What are you guys talking about?" Natsu asked, an obviously confused look on his face. "Wendy has a crush on Mest?"

"I do not!" Wendy argued immediately, her cheeks flaming up. "Lucy, stop giving him ideas!"

Lucy struggled to stifle her laughter. "It's nothing, Natsu. Don't worry about it," she said, waving off Natsu's questions.

Natsu sighed, clasping his hands behind his head. "Good, cause if you did, I'd have to beat him up," he said, so calmly that Wendy wondered if he was even serious.

"Why's that?" Lucy asked, her curiosity piqued by Natsu's arbitrary threat.

"Because he's too old for my baby cousin," Natsu replied.

Wendy pouted, shoving Natsu. "I'm not a baby anymore!" she argued. "And he's only three years older. Would that be so weird?"

Natsu stumbled a little before he regained his footing. "Well, you're too young to date," Natsu said, sticking his tongue out at Wendy. "So tough love."

Lucy rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "Natsu, you're too protective of Wendy. Sooner or later she has to find a boyfriend, right?"

"How come you don't have a boyfriend then?" Natsu asked, clueless as ever.

Lucy frowned. "I don't have one at the moment, but I've had plenty over the years," she replied, as if it were some kind of accomplishment. "None of them really worked out, though."

"That's lame," Natsu deadpanned. Lucy clenched her fists in irritation. "Well then, where's your girlfriend?" she yelled. Natsu just grinned. "Don't need one," he replied.

"Then you're the lame one!"

"Well you're the weird one!"

"How am I the weird one?!"

"It would take me all day to explain it."

"Don't make me kick you!"

Wendy smirked deviously, touching her chin with one finger. "Like an old married couple," she commented, indicating the two quarreling friends in front of her.

That seemed to quiet down the two teens. Lucy covered her face with her hands, feeling mortified, while Wendy silently laughed in the background. Natsu, however, seemed unfazed by the comment and continued to walk, his feet kicking up small pebbles on the sidewalk and making them clatter over the pavement.

"Don't be embarrassed, Lucy," Wendy teased, patting her friend on the shoulder, which was a little ways above her head.

"Come on, slowpokes! We're almost there!" Natsu called, waving the two towards him. In front of them was the light-up sign of the roller rink, it's colorful lights flashing.

Wendy clapped and jogged to catch up with Natsu. "Ooh, I'm so excited!" she squealed happily.

As the group entered the roller rink, Wendy's eyes widened. She had never been to a place like this before, and it was very big, and very noisy. "Wow," she breathed. She followed her older cousin to the counter.

"Three pairs, please," Natsu said, pulling out his wallet and passing a few bills to the man working the rental counter.

"I brought some money-" Lucy began, reaching for her purse, but Natsu cut her off.

"I got you covered," he said with a grin. "What size?"

Lucy smiled softly, a light blush on her face. "Eight," she replied.

Natsu nodded. "A nine in men's, and an eight and two in women's," he told the renter, who disappeared momentarily before returning with three pairs of skates in his hands. Natsu thanked him before making his way over to the benches and sitting down, pulling his shoes off and replacing them with the skates.

Wendy tugged her skates on and tied the laces tightly, pushing herself to her feet when she finished. "These make me feel tall," she commented, glancing down at her feet. The wheels were at least two inches tall. "Maybe I can finally be five feet with these on!"

Lucy giggled as she stood up, her roller blades wobbling slightly under her. "It's been a while since I rode these," she said, indicating the straight blade of wheels as opposed to the square style Wendy rode. "But I've been skating for a long time. I think I'll be alright."

Natsu stood up, stretching for a moment. "Alright, let's head in. The others should already be there, we're a little late," he said, making his way towards the entrance to the rink. "Look, there they are!" he pointed to where a small group of teens was gathered.

The three went up to the group, but Wendy held back a little ways away, feeling uncomfortable. Everyone was much taller than her, and some of the guys were kind of intimidating.

"Wendy!" The small bluenette looked up as her name was called to see Chelia walking towards her. A wave of relief rushed through her to see a familiar face.

"Chelia!" Wendy said with a smile, meeting her friend halfway.

Chelia smiled at Wendy. "How come you're not mingling?" she asked, gesturing to the group. "I promise, none of them are going to bite you." she winked jokingly at Wendy and grasped her wrist, tugging her towards the group. "Come on, I'll introduce you to everyone!"

"This is Romeo," Chelia said, pulling her up to where a dark-haired boy was chatting with Natsu. "He's a freshman like us!" she turned and pointed to a taller woman, whose pink hair cascaded down her shoulders in gentle waves. "That's my cousin Sherry., and that guy next to her is Mest."

"I know Mest," Wendy said, relieved to see another friendly face. She was surprised how many people she recognized. "Mira's here too."

Chilia blinked in surprise. "I'm surprised you know them already," she said. "Mira's a junior and Mest is a senior. Well then, that means the only one you don't know is-"

"You're Wendy?" Wendy looked up as a man approached her, his black hair tied up on the back of his head. He pushed his glasses up on his nose as he regarded her with dark eyes. "My name is Lahar. Mest mentioned you were coming, although," he paused, frowning. "You're shorter than I imagined.

"Lahar, be nice." Mest came up behind Lahar and slung an arm around his shoulder. He glanced down at Wendy and smiled. "Wendy! Glad you could make it," he said. "This is my friend Lahar."

Wendy gave a small smile, her shoulders hunching timidly as she lowered her gaze slightly. "H-Hello," she murmured.

Lahar just nodded to her before turning to the rest of the group. "Shall we begin?" he asked, and Wendy sweat-dropped at his formal attitude.

Mest grinned. "Let's go," he said, stepping onto the rink and immediately taking off. One by one, the group of teens filed onto the sleek wooden floor. Wendy stepped on last, tentatively, and almost immediately toppled onto her backside with a yelp.

Grumbling to herself, Wendy pulled herself to her feet, grasping the rim of the ring for balance. "How do you do this?" she wondered aloud, fighting to stay on her feet as she once again released the banister.

"Not as easy as it looks, huh?" Mest asked, skating up beside Wendy. "It takes some practice. You're not the only one." he gestured to the other side of the ring, where Natsu was clinging to Lucy as she tried to teach him to skate.

Wendy giggled as she watched Lucy struggling to hold Natsu up. "I've never been skating before," she admitted, holding tight to the banister.

Mest chuckled and held out his hand. "You don't get out too often, do you?" he said. the words made Wendy blush and pout at the older male. "Want me to teach you?" he asked. "Once you get the footing right, it's actually pretty easy."

Wendy blinked at Mest in surprise, then swallowed, reaching out and touching Mest's palm hesitantly with her fingertips. The taller man closed his hand around hers, his large hand enveloping her small one completely. "Now let go of the wall," he coaxed, tugging lightly on her hand. Reluctantly, Wendy released the wall and stuck that hand out for balance, wobbling uneasily on her skates.

"That's more like it," Mest said, pulling Wendy farther from the wall. "The trick is to turn out your feet and go slow when you're starting."

Wendy nodded and did as she was told, turning her feet so they created a "v" shape. "That does feel a little more balanced," she said.

"In that case," Mest said, and promptly released Wendy's hand. Wendy cried out as she immediately lost her balance and tumbled forward and into Mest, crashing into his chest. "Woah!" Mest said in surprise as the small girl collided with his chest. He was pushed back a little but stayed on his feet, gripping Wendy's shoulders to keep her upright.

"Mest!" Wendy exclaimed once she had somewhat regained her footing. She pouted up at him.

Mest chuckled lightly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry, my bad," he said. "Guess I'm not a very good teacher."

"I'm going back to the tables. I need a break," Wendy said, stumbling back to the wall and starting to make her way back towards the entrance.

Wendy sighed as she plopped down on a bench by the rink, throwing her head back to stare at the ceiling. After a moment she glanced back at where Lucy and Natsu were. Surprisingly, the pink-haired boy was doing fairy well, though he still clung to Lucy's hand like a lifeline. Wendy giggled at the sight, and Wendy couldn't help but feel like Lucy looked cute paired up with her cousin.

"Tired?" Wendy glanced up to see Chelia standing over her, her hands on her hips. "That was fast."

Wendy smiled sheepishly. "Mest was trying to teach me to skate, but it didn't work out very well," she sighed, clasping her hands behind her head. "How are Natsu and Lucy doing?"

Chelia raised a hand to her mouth to stifle her laughter. "They're making some progress," she answered vaguely, waving her hand. Wendy giggled in reply.

"Is that so?" Wendy mused. "Well, he looks like he's having fun, anyway." The pinkette had a huge smile on his face, and he had finally let go of Lucy, who was off to the side laughing and clapping. She smiled, relaxing slightly. "I'm happy for him."


	7. Never Would Have Guessed

**Hello! I actually updated on time today! ;D So, not much to say about this chapter, although as I reread it, it felt like I kind of rushed it a bit... oh well, I still like it. I hope you all like it too! Please drop a review if you do, I love hearing from you all!**

**Okay, so a quick update on my stories right now. On The Inside is cruising along wonderfully. I have so many ideas for it! I've already finished this one, and it's fifteen chapters, so I've posted about half of it. I recently posted a story called 25 Things I Love About You, my first Gruvia, that I'm excited for. Summer Camp is put on hold for now, because the person I'm doing the collab with is really busy and doesn't have time to write. I have a few stories in the works as well, a second Mendy called Speechless and a Nalu called The Girl Without A Name. It'll be a while before either is published, though.**

**Well, without further ado, here's the new chapter!**

**CuteFoxSage-NightShadeOwl: Heehee, thank you! There's more Nalu fluff in this chapter as well. And don't worry about it! I don't mind late reviews.**

**Guest: haha, yup! It was actually pretty predictable xD**

* * *

_"Eeeeehh?!"_

Wendy stared at the pair in shock. In front of her stood Natsu and Lucy, the former with his arm wrapped around the latter's waist. Wendy's eyes were wide, completely at a loss as she stared at them. "You're dating now?" she exclaimed, thoroughly shocked. It had been two days since the escapade at the roller rink, and now the three of them sat at the Dragneel house.

Lucy smiled at Wendy, and the bluenette had to admit she looked happier than ever. "It's a long story, but yeah, we're dating now," she replied, leaning her head on Natsu's shoulder.

"We thought you ought to know, since we're living together and all," Natsu added. "You're the first person we've told."

After recovering from her initial shock, a broad smile broke onto Wendy's face. "That's so great!" she squealed. "I'm happy for you two! Natsu, you take good care of this girl, you hear me? Or I might have to resort to drastic measures!"

Natsu chuckled, reaching down to ruffle Wendy's hair affectionately. "Don't worry," he assured. "I intend to take good care of Lucy."

Lucy blushed at the comment. Natsu paused, his expression changing, as if he were remembering something. "Oh, I almost forgot!" he exclaimed. "Wendy, mom and dad wanted to talk to you when you got the chance. Lucy and I are going out, but we should be back in a few hours."

Wendy nodded. "Have fun, you too!" she called as the couple walked out the front door. Wendy gave a satisfactory smile and headed upstairs to where her aunt and uncle were in their room. The pushed the door open, poking her head inside. "Auntie?" she called.

Grandine looked up from reading a book and smiled at Wendy, patting the bed beside her. Wendy approached the bed and climbed onto it, settling herself beside her aunt. "You want to talk to me?" she said, glancing up at Grandine curiously.

The white-haired woman nodded, replacing her bookmark and closing her book, setting it on the bedside table. "As you know, this month is April, and the fourth is quickly approaching," she began.

Wendy froze, her entire body tensing. "I'm not going," she said immediately. "I've told you already, I'm not visiting him."

"But Wendy-" Grandine began, but the bluenette cut her off. "I said I'm not going!" she said, her voice escalating. "I don't want to see him!"

Grandine's heart clenched, her face betraying her sadness at Wendy's reply. "But Wendy, he's your father," she murmured. "And you haven't seen him since… you know." she paused, toying with her wedding ring. "Don't you at least want to hear what he has to say? Every time we go and you're not there, he tells us he has something to tell you, but he won't pass it along."

Wendy clenched her teeth and closed her eyes, surprised to feel a tear roll down her cheek. She clenched the bedsheets in her fists. "I won't go," she said, an air of finality to her words. "He betrayed me, betrayed mother. As far as I'm concerned, he can rot in that prison for the rest of his life!"

Grandine let out a long breath. "I know he wronged you and Lyra, but he's still your father, and you've ignored him for four years now. You only have four chances in a year to talk with him. How long do you intend to run away from him?"

"I'm not running away!" Wendy yelled, stunning Grandine. The young teen rarely raised her voice, even when she was angry. Immediately she realized this and let a pained expression replace her angry one, staring down at her hands. "Sorry. But I won't see him. I refuse to see him."

Grandine sighed softly and reached out to rub Wendy's back comfortingly. "I'll let Dominic know how you feel. Maybe this time he'll let me pass on his message." she paused, biting her lip. "You really should visit him, though. I don't think he's as evil as you make him out to be. He was my brother, after all; I know him better than anyone, except maybe for Lyra. He'll be devastated when he hears about Lyra's passing."

Wendy scowled, crossing her arms. "Dominic never cared about mother," she replied coldly, her words laced with hate and malice. "He wouldn't have done what he did if he cared about us."

Grandine opened her mouth to answer, but then closed it again with a heavy sigh. "Have it your way, then," she said, giving up on persuading her. "I just think you should have more faith in your father. He was only trying to protect you."

Wendy didn't answer, just left the room, heading to her bedroom and locking the door behind her. Almost immediately she sank onto the floor, tears pouring from her eyes. She let herself cry, sobs escaping her lips as she covered her eyes with her hands, drawing her knees to her chest and burying her face in them. "Why, daddy?" she whispered to herself.

For a moment, Wendy just sat in her room, wondering if there was anyone she trusted enough to confide in. Not Natsu. He knew and would just try to get her to talk to Dominic. Lucy would just tell Natsu, and she wasn't sure she was ready to burden Chelia with her life issues.

Then there was Mest. For Wendy, Mest seemed like an anchor in the midst of a storm, a mature man who would listen to her and take her feelings into account. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, pulling Mest's number up on it. She remembered swapping digits with him after roller skating not three days ago, and began to type a message to him.

"Hey Mest. I'm having some issues at home and I was wondering if I could come over, get out of the house?" she wrote. it was kind of a stupid message, but she couldn't think of anything else to say, or anyone else to go to.

The response came a few minutes later. "No problem." he had then left her his address. Wendy smiled; she knew she could trust Mest. Standing up, she straightened her clothes and wiped her tears before heading out, making sure to alert Grandine as she left. Mest's house was a good twenty minute walk from her own, but Wendy didn't care.

When she finally reached Mest's apartment, she was starting to feel nervous. No doubt Mest would want to know what kind of troubles Wendy was having that were so urgent she had to get away.

Gulping, Wendy reached out and knocked on the apartment door. After a few seconds of waiting, Mest answered the door, smiling down at her. "You wanted to talk?" he said, stepping out of the way so she could come inside.

Wendy nodded and hesitantly walked into Mest's apartment. "I couldn't think of anyone else to talk to," she admitted softly. "Sorry about dumping my personal problems on you."

Mest closed the door behind her. "It's no problem," he said, gesturing to the couch. "What else are friends for? Sit down, and you can tell me what's bothering you."

Wendy nodded and sat down on the couch across from Mest. "It's a bit of a long story," Wendy warned, but Mest just urged her on. "A couple of years ago, right after my seventh birthday, my father got arrested. He had been gambling and drinking, and he lost all of our money playing slots. That happened a lot back then, though." she paused, frowning down at her hands. "He used to come home stumbling drunk, angry at everyone, and when that happened, he would…" she trailed off, feeling her tears coming now. She blinked them back, taking deep breaths to steady her nerves. "He would beat my mother and me." she gripped the edge of her blue tank top and pulled it up, revealing a long scar tracing the side of her stomach and hip. "He gave this to me the night he was arrested. That night, mother and father argued. He pulled a knife on her and threatened to kill her. That was when the neighbors called the police. They came and took him away, put him in jail."

Mest gazed down at Wendy sadly. "That's awful," he murmured. "Child abuse, spouse abuse, attempted murder; that must have put him away for a long time."

"Twelve years," Wendy replied with a nod. "It's been seven years already, meaning five years until he's out, but…" she paused, biting her lip. "of course they still want me to visit him. My aunt, his sister, says he has something to tell me, a message, but I refuse to see him. I don't want to see his face ever again." she raised a hand to wipe her tears away, but more soon replaced it until she was full-on crying, tears rolling down her cheeks and falling onto her lap.

Then something unexpected happened. Mest sighed and gripped Wendy's shoulders, pulling her in for a hug. "Tears don't suit you," he said softly, sounding almost embarrassed. "So you should smile more, okay?"

Wendy blinked, and her tears stopped. Her heart was pounding; she could feel it in the very tips of her fingers, and she could tell Mest's was beating just as hard. Then her frown began to morph into a smile, and she hugged Mest back, her arms wrapping themselves around his waist. "Thanks," she whispered.

Mest stroked Wendy's hair lightly. "You probably don't want to hear this, but your aunt could be right. It's worth at least hearing what your father has to say." he could feel Wendy tense up at his comment. "It doesn't mean you have to automatically accept him, but it could be important."

Wendy sat up again, releasing Mest from her hold on him, and frowned thoughtfully. She looked very reluctant, but then sighed. "Maybe you're right…" she said. "I can't pretend he doesn't exist anymore. Sooner or later they're going to let him out of prison and I have to be ready for that." she stood up, smoothing her skirt. "Well, thanks for listening to me. I guess I'll just head home."

"You don't have to," Mest said, standing up as well. "Hang around a little. Maybe we can go out somewhere?"

Wendy glanced over her shoulder to regard Mest comically. "Mest Gryder, are you asking me out?" she asked, her eyes shining in amusement. "I guess Auntie wouldn't mind if I took a little extra time. Did you have somewhere planned?"

Mest shrugged. "I just thought it might be good to get out of the house. You know, with you having some family issues and all."

Wendy smiled. "I'd like that."

* * *

"Mest, remind me again why we're at a park?" Wendy said as she walked down the old walking path with her friend.

Mest shrugged. "It's pretty, and it's always really peaceful here," he answered. "You seem like a girl who would appreciate nature."

Wendy shrugged. "It just seemed like an odd choice, I suppose," she said. "I've been on a few dates, but most of them involved some place loud and exciting. But that's not really my style." she smiled sheepishly.

"I never said this was a date," Mest pointed out, raising an eyebrow comically at Wendy. "I just thought you could use some cheering up."

"You never denied it either," Wendy countered with an amused smile.

Mest rolled his eyes in amusement. "Whatever you say," he said, shaking his head. She could be so stubborn sometimes, but he couldn't deny the fact that he found her interesting. Even as only a freshman, she was childish as well as mature, and she seemed pretty well-versed in the ways of the world. She was smart and funny, probably smarter than most of the girls in her grade.

"Whatcha thinking about?" Wendy asked, tilting her head to get a better look of Mest's face.

Mest just turned to Wendy and gave her a smile. "Nothing important," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. He glanced up. "Why don't we take a little break and sit down?"

Wendy followed Mest's gaze to where a bench was set up along the walking path. She smiled and nodded, speeding up her pace a bit. She plopped down on the bench happily, kicking her feet so they brushed against the ground and stirred the short blades of grass. Mest sat down beside her, kicking his foot up to rest his ankle on his knee comfortably. "This is fun," she said, leaning back against the back of the bench.

Mest nodded. "Yeah," he agreed. "We ought to do this again. It's fun hanging out with you." he paused, glancing out at the peaceful park. "Maybe we could… give this a shot?"

Wendy blushed at the comment, smiling softly to herself. "Yeah, we should," she replied, feeling shy despite the fact that she had become quite comfortable around Mest. "That would be a lot of fun."

When she moved to Magnolia, Wendy never would have guessed her life would turn out like this.


	8. When He Says It So Honestly

**I'm so bad at updating on Saturdays, even though that's technically when this is supposed to update. Oh well, here's the new chapter anyway! One of my favorites; Wendy confronts her father at last! Who knows what will happen? Well, I do xD but that's not the point. Drop a review if you enjoyed the chapter, I love hearing your feedback!**

**CuteFoxSage-NightShadeOwl: xD indeed. Thanks for reviewing!**

**Guest: Who says Wendy doesn't get angry? xD I imagine that when she gets angry, it's a little hysterical.**

**DemonHeart42: Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoy my stories! Out of curiosity, what else of mine have you read?**

* * *

For Wendy, the next several days went well, really well. Aside from Natsu's ever-present exhaustion, he seemed to be doing well too, and all in all, life was good. Wendy hung out with Mest a lot more often, in school and out of it, so much that people had begun to wonder if there really was something happening between them. Even Natsu, who normally would be too dense to figure it out himself, noticed Wendy's growing attraction towards Mest.

However, as April fourth quickly approached, Wendy became less happy and more depressed. Natsu would often find her staring out of a window with a thoughtful look on her face, or zoning out in the middle of a conversation for no reason. Of course Natsu knew the reason, but he didn't want to bring up such a sensitive topic. He did bring it up once, on the third, the day before her visit was due, when the two of them were sitting up on the roof of their house in the dead of the night.

"Are you going to visit Dominic?" Natsu asked softly, glancing at his cousin in concern. "I mean, I know how you feel about him, but don't you at least want to know his message to you?"

Wendy frowned down at her feet and was silent for a long time. Then she looked up and managed a weak smile. "Yeah, I'm going to do it," she replied. "I'm finally going to face my father. I'm going to find out his reasons, hear his message. That doesn't mean I forgive him, though. Far from it." she paused, glancing up at the sky and hugging her knees to her chest. "I'm done being afraid of him, so I'm going to face my fear."

"Is Mest coming with you?" Natsu blurted out unexpectedly.

Wendy glanced at her cousin in surprise. "Mest? That was random. Why would he come with me?" she asked, tilting her head in confusion.

Natsu shrugged. "Well, you two seemed to be really close. Isn't he your boyfriend now?" he pointed out, furrowing his eyebrows thoughtfully.

Wendy's face turned a deep crimson at Natsu's words. "W-We're not! I mean, I…" she stuttered, and buried her face in her hands, hoping to calm herself down. "H-He's not really my boyfriend, at least not officially. He hasn't exactly asked me to be his girlfriend or anything. But we've gone on a few dates…!" she paused, taking a deep breath. "He's not coming with me. This is something I have to do myself."

Natsu chuckled lightly at Wendy's flustered reaction. "That makes sense," he said. There was a pause, and then he added, "You really like this guy, huh?"

Wendy raised her head and smiled, her cheeks still dusted pink. "Yeah, I really do," she sighed, leaning her chin on her knees. "I mean, I know he's three years older than me and that's a little weird, but he's really sweet and friendly, and he gets me too. He knows what I mean without me actually saying it. Do you know what I mean?"

"Yeah, Lucy's like that for me," Natsu replied, laying down on his back to stare up at the dark sky. "Well, if he does ask you to be his girlfriend, make sure you bring him to me right away. He has to be worthy of my little cousin!"

Wendy pouted and laid down next to Natsu. "It's not your choice who I date," she pointed out, but there was a blush on her cheeks. "I don't care if you don't approve of Mest, though I don't see why you wouldn't. He's actually a little like you." she smiled at the thought.

Natsu just shrugged in reply, clasping his hands behind his head and crossing his legs as he stared up at the night sky. "What are you going to say to Dominic?" he asked in a soft voice, glancing sideways at Wendy.

The small bluenette sighed and shook her head. "I don't know," she admitted, frowning. "I'll just have to wait until tomorrow and see what happens."

"I'll be there with you, every step," Natsu said, grinning at his younger cousin. He lifted one hand, creating a fist with it. "Dragon Slayers?"

Wendy giggled. Natsu had created the name for the two of them when they were younger. He had gotten the name from a game the two had played together, where they had to fight the dragons and save the day. She lifted her own arm and bumped fists with Natsu. "Dragon Slayers," she agreed.

* * *

For Wendy, morning came too soon. She was awoken at sharply seven o'clock that morning, the sound of her alarm clock waking her from her already fitful slumber. It was a Saturday, and all morning Natsu cursed about having to wake up early on the weekends, the only days he truly got to sleep in because of his work. Wendy wasn't really in good spirits either, although she had always been an early riser. No, her mind was on another matter.

Wendy frowned thoughtfully as she poked at her meager breakfast of scrambled eggs and leaned her head on the palm of her hand, looking glum.

"We're so glad you're coming along, Wendy," Grandine said, rubbing her niece's shoulder lightly as she prepared to go on the short trip to the jail. "Remember to wear nice clothes and be on your best behavior."

Natsu rolled his eyes as he shoveled eggs into his mouth. "Yeah, whatever, mom," he replied, standing up and heading upstairs to get dressed. Wendy had already dressed herself in a short pink pleated skirt and white tank top, her hair done up in twin ponytails on the sides of her head.

"I'm ready to go, Auntie," she announced, dropping her dished in the sink. Natsu and Igneel came down a little while after and the family of four piled into the family van to drive to the prison.

The ride was completely silent, a solemn feeling hanging in the air. Wendy leaned on the armrest of her seat and stared out the window as life flashed past her outside of the small metal vehicle. _Today is the day,_ she thought to herself. _It's all or nothing. Today is the day, the first in seven years, that I confront my father and learn the reasoning behind what he did._

As soon as the car pulled up by the doors of the prison, Wendy's heart started to beat faster and she began to feel nervous, her hands clutching the fabric of her skirt. She stepped out of the car, closing the door behind her, and followed at the back of the group as Igneel led the way up to the front desk.

"We're here to visit Dominic Marvell," Igneel told the receptionist, pulling a card from his pocket; a key that would allow them entrance to the prison. "My name is Igneel Dragneel and this is my wife Grandine, Dominic's sister. His daughter Wendy is also here to see him, and his nephew Natsu."

"One moment please," the receptionist said, picking up her phone. "We have four here to see Mr. Dominic Marvell, two adults and two minors… yes, they're here for the quarterly visit… They showed me their card… thank you." the receptionist hung up the phone and turned to the small group, smiling. "Someone will be down to take you to him," she said. "By the way, they asked about a Lyra Marvell. Is she also here?"

Grandine swallowed. "Lyra will no longer be joining us for our visits," she replied softly.

The receptionist frowned and nodded. "I see. I'm sorry," she said, flashing them an apologetic glance before looking down at her notes.

After a moment of waiting, a security guard approached the group. "Mr. and Mrs. Dragneel?" he guessed, a stern expression on his face. "My name is Jonathan Michaels, one of Mr. Marvell's personal guards," he introduced. "Please, follow me."

Wendy stuck close to her aunt and uncle as they followed the brawny security officer into one of the well-lit hallways that separated lines of jail cells. She swallowed nervously, scared to look in the jail cells out of fear her father was in one of them. She did take a peek inside of of the empty cells, however, and saw that the conditions the convicts had to live in were anything but ideal. The beds were nothing but an inch-thick, beat-up mattress lying on the floor, and there were no windows, no hints of the outside. There were no lights inside of the cells, making the far corners look dark and mysterious, as if something could be lurking inside.

Wendy shivered and reached up to grab Grandine's hand, thankful for the comfort it gave. After what seemed like ages of walking, the security guard paused and pulled out a ring of keys, unlocking the dank cell door in front of him. "You have visitors, Dominic. I'll have no funny business, you hear?"

There was no reply from the inside of the cell, but as they approached Wendy could hear the sounds of shuffling, probably that of bare feet on the cold floors. Grandine led Wendy into the cell, much to the bluenette's reluctance, and paused once she was inside. Without warning, Grandine released Wendy's hand. "Dominic!" she said, and there was a happy note in her voice. The white-haired woman took a step forward and embraced what could only be her brother. "It's good to see you again."

Wendy shrunk back, bumping into Natsu. The pink-haired boy flashed Wendy a reassuring smile and put his hand on her shoulder, offering his support for her.

The sound of Dominic's voice was what made her shrink. His voice, deep and almost throaty, was all too familiar for the fourteen-year-old girl. "It's good to see you, too," Dominic replied once he had separated from his sister. "Who came with you this time?"

"My husband and son," Grandine replied. "And Wendy came this time as well."

At the sound of her name, Wendy jumped, her arms and legs shaking. She had half-hoped, though she knew it was useless, that Grandine would forget she had joined the group today.

"Wendy?" Dominic echoed, the disbelief and surprise clear in his voice. He pushed past Grandine, finally coming into full view of his daughter. He was tall, taller than she remembered him being, with light blue eyes and dark blue hair that was unmistakably familiar to Wendy. It was the same color that her hair was, the color she had inherited from the man in front of her. It was long now, though, and shaggy, like it hadn't been combed in a long time. It probably hadn't, either. He also had a bit of a beard going, the uneven stubble dotting his chin the same color as his hair.

For a long moment, the two of them just stared at each other. It had been seven years since they had last spoken, seven years since she had last laid eyes on him. Then Dominic's face broke into a smile, a surprisingly friendly smile that made Wendy wonder what he was going to do next. She squeaked when he leaned down and placed both of his hands on her shoulders, then wrapped them around her back, pulling her against him.

He was hugging her. He was down on his knees, hugging her with his chin resting on her shoulder. "Wendy," he murmured, her name sounding foreign coming from his mouth. "Wendy, I missed you."

For a moment Wendy was so stunned that she had no clue what to do. Then her gaze hardened and she gripped her father's shoulders with her hands, pushing him away from her. "Don't touch me!" she cried, taking a step back. "I didn't come here to forgive you, so don't expect any kindness from me!"

Dominic blinked, sitting back down on the bench in his cell and lowering his gaze. "I should know better than to expect forgiveness," he sighed. He glanced up at the Dragneels. "Would you mind giving us a moment?" he asked.

Igneel nodded and shooed his family outside. "We'll wait out here," he replied, leaving Wendy and Dominic alone in the cell together. Wendy stood as close to the doorway as she could, but Dominic made no indication that he planned to move from his spot.

"It's been seven years, hasn't it?" Dominic was the one who broke the silence. Wendy just nodded dumbly, refusing to look up at her father. Dominic gave a gentle smile before continuing. "Prison has given me a lot of time to think about what I've done. Seven years ago… it seems so far away now." he paused, running a hand through his greasy blue hair. "I did a lot of horrible things to Lyra and you back then. Gambling away all our money, drinking so much that I could hardly walk, and then coming home and taking out my anger on you two…" he sighed sadly, looking down at his feet. "I know this doesn't mean anything to you, but I'm sorry."

"I don't want to hear it," Wendy snapped suddenly. She didn't look up from her feet, and she was visibly shaking, but she held her ground. "The only reason I came was because I wanted to hear the message you had for me."

Dominic sighed. "I thought something like this would happen," he said, rubbing his knee restlessly. "My message to you is something I couldn't pass on through your aunt and uncle because I knew the only way you would believe me was if I told you directly. Then again, you still may not believe me." he paused, as if searching for the right words. "Seven years ago, I did something awful. I was drunk, and when I came home, your mother and I got into an argument that resulted in me attacking you and her with a knife. It was the worst thing I've ever done. After the cops showed up and arrested me, I was forbidden from drinking any form of alcohol. It gave me a chance to sober up and reflect on my actions. I had no memory of what happened on that night, but the police gave me a summary of what happened. I really did love you and your mother, I did. When we were married, Lyra was my whole world, and when you were born I couldn't have been happier.

"But then I got laid off my job. I was a young man, not even thirty years old, with a wife and a baby girl to take care of, but finding a new job for someone with little job experience was nearly impossible. I began to drown my stress in alcohol, and I gambled in order to scrounge up the money I needed to provide for my family.

"As the months turned into years, I had a low paying job as a worker at the local cannery. I would work morning to evening and then go partying with my friends before coming home and taking out my anger on my wife and little girl. I was addicted to alcohol, and my addiction only got worse.

"Seven years I followed this pattern. You were my ray of sunshine when I wasn't drunk, but by the time you turned seven years old you were too afraid to speak to me, scared of what I might do if you made me angry. You wouldn't even speak to Lyra when I was around, just hide behind her and pretend like you weren't there. It broke my heart to see my only child afraid to even speak to me.

"You became virtually mute around almost anyone. You wouldn't talk when we had visitors over, except to give us one-word answers. I could tell it made your mother sad to know that her child had become such a shy girl because of me. You were always a bright, boisterous girl as a child, but as time went on you became too shy to talk to anyone and eventually lost your friends. When Lyra told me the kids at your middle school were bullying you because of me, I knew my actions had ruined your life."

Wendy listened to Dominic's story with a quiet frown and didn't say a word, her hand resting on her lap. Dominic gave a weak smile as he gazed as his daughter, his only child. "You've grown up so much," he murmured. "You look so much like your mother, too. Where is Lyra, anyway? She didn't come with you?"

Wendy froze, her hands fisting in the fabric of her skirt. A lone tear rolled down her face. "Mother is dead now," she replied in a hushed voice, barely above a whisper. "I'm living with Natsu now."

Dominic took a sharp breath, his smile dissipating. "I… I see," he murmured. "So RED finally…" he paused, reaching up to wipe away his tears. "I'm sorry, Wendy. I wish things could have been different for us. Then maybe, I could have been a real father for you, not just an old body rotting away in a dirty jail cell."

"She waited for you," Wendy said, sniffing as more tears came to her eyes. "She kept talking about how some day you were going to come home. Even when she was dying in the hospital, she waited for you."

Dominic nodded, covering half of his face with one hand. "You inherited the disease from Lyra. I was there at the hospital when you had your first attack, I remember. You were only five years old then. How have you been doing?"

Wendy wasn't sure whether to be relieved or suspicious that her father was actually caring for her. "Stage 3," she replied, waving one hand in the air vaguely. "I was diagnosed shortly after you left. They told me that in the next fifteen years I would be dead."

Dominic bit his lip, letting his head fall into his hands. "I never wished this on you," he whispered. "When Lyra was diagnosed, the disease was one that had never been seen before. Outbreaks of it were recorded all over the country. They told us she would be dead within five years. But there's a cure now, right? Some kind of surgery?"

Wendy nodded. "There is, but it's ridiculously expensive. Auntie and Uncle can't afford to pay for it," she said, her foot tapping lightly on the ground, a nervous habit. "Natsu works part-time to earn money, but it'll take forever before we have enough money for the operation."

Dominic scowled and hit the bench he was sitting on with his fist. "Dammit. If I wasn't in prison…" he cursed, and then trailed off, and sighed. "I don't know what I would do, but I would try to help."

"I don't need your help!" Wendy snapped, startling Dominic with the intensity in her voice. "Anyway, this conversation has gone on long enough. What's this message that you couldn't tell Grandine?"

Dominic smiled, a true, honest smile that Wendy had never seen before. "It's your choice whether you believe me or not, but I wanted to let you know that even after everything that's happened, I still love you, and I want you to know that you can always come to me, for anything."

Wendy blinked, then a smile crept onto her face. It was a bitter smile, however, and then she started to laugh. "That's funny," she said in between her laughs. "Love has nothing to do with this! Just because you say it doesn't account for all the years of hardships you put mother and me through! Just because you make some half-assed comment about how much you love me doesn't mean I accept it!"

Dominic smiled gently. "It's good to see you with so much emotion," he said. "Even if it is anger, and even if it's towards me. Anyway, I had a feeling you wouldn't accept me back so easily. I just had to tell you this in person." he paused, lifting his head to look at his daughter for one last time. "It was good to see you, Wendy. I hope you come and visit me again."

Wendy didn't answer , just stood up and walked away, out the door and up to where her family was waiting. As she approached them, all three stood up. Natsu approached her, worry in his eyes. "How did it go? Are you alright?" he asked.

Wendy stared at her feet for a moment, and for that moment no one was sure what to expect. Then she raised her hands to her face and started to cry,tears running down her face uncontrollably. She threw herself into Natsu's arms, wrapping her arms around his middle in search of comfort. "He… he said that he loved me," she sobbed, burying her face into her cousin's chest.

Natsu hugged Wendy close, stroking her hair lightly. He didn't say anything; he already knew that Wendy didn't need reassurance, just someone to be her lifeline. Wendy continued to cry, clinging to Natsu's shirt tightly. "How can I hate him when he says it so honestly?"


	9. Did We Forget To Tell You?

**Hello all! Here's the newest chapter! I hope you all enjoy it!**

**LeahMineStar: Thank you! ^^**

**CuteFoxSage-NightShadeOwl: haha xD so much drama. I love drama though.**

**Guest: Dominic you jerk o; haha thanks for reviewing, I don't mind if it's late.**

* * *

"Are you alright?" Natsu asked as he gently stroked Wendy's hair, smoothing the dark blue tresses against her head.

Wendy sniffed and nodded dumbly, reaching one hand to her face to wipe her tears away. "I'm okay," she murmured, unlatching herself from Natsu.

"I'm guessing you won't tell me what Dominic said," the pink-haired boy sighed. Wendy was known for her stubborn attitude, and if she hadn't told him yet she was unlikely to.

Wendy gave a smile and giggled, shaking her head. She mimed zipping her lips and locking them with a key. "Sorry, it's a secret," she replied with an amused glint in her eyes. She glanced at her aunt and uncle, who had thus far been silent, and gave them one of her signature smiles as reassurance that she was doing well. "If that's all, is it okay if we leave?"

Igneel gave his niece a small smile and nodded. "That's fine," he replied, and motioned for his family to follow him as he led the way towards the front entrance of the prison. After checking out at the receptionist's desk, he led the small group back to his car. Wendy climbed into the back seat, where her phone lay untouched. She had left it behind at Grandine's orders, who had suggested she be respectful to her father. Sighing, she picked up the phone and turned it on, surprised to see that she had a message. "From Mest…" she murmured to herself.

Wendy pulled the message up on her phone, scrolling through the words Mest had wrote. "_Call me when you get the chance. I have something important to ask you."_ Wendy frowned at the message and read through it again. "Important?" she repeated in a hushed voice.

She quickly wrote a message back to Mest, "_Just got out of the prison after visiting father, I'll call you in fifteen."_

Satisfied with her message, she set her phone down once again and sat quietly through the car ride back to her house. As soon as she was inside, she excused herself and went up to her room, closing the door behind her and pulling her phone from her pocket. She dialed Mest's number and held the phone to her ear, holding it between her ear and her chin as she fiddled with the hem of her skirt.

"Hello?" Mest's voice came through the phone's speaker, and Wendy smiled to herself.

"Hey Mest, it's Wendy. I got your message," she said cheerfully. "You said you wanted to ask me something?"

There was a split-second pause between Wendy's question and Mest's answer, and when the man finally replied, his voice had a slightly nervous edge to it. "It's something I want to ask you in person. Can you come over?" he replied.

Wendy blinked. "Sure," she replied, blushing slightly. She was pretty sure she had a crush on the older man, but she had determined not to let it change her relationship with Mest. "I'll be there in a few minutes." After bidding each other farewell, Wendy hung up the phone and stood up, throwing on a light jacket before alerting her aunt and uncle that she was off to see a friend.

The walk to Mest's apartment was almost painfully long, and Wendy couldn't focus on walking when she was worried about what Mest would say to her. What could be so important that he had to see her in person? "I'm so confused!" she moaned to herself, covering her face with her hands for a moment and shaking her head. She sighed and composed herself, glancing up at the apartment complex where Mest lived.

Wendy approached the front door of Mest's apartment and tentatively knocked on the smooth wood, the sound echoing dully in the silence around her. She took a small step back and waited as Mest opened up the apartment door.

The small bluenette smiled as Mest opened the door. "Hey," she greeted. "You wanted to talk?"

Mest nodded and gestured for Wendy to enter, at which the girl happily obliged. This would be her second time in Mest's apartment, and she still felt a little weird about being alone with him, even though she knew he was a good guy. Mest followed Wendy inside and sat on the couch, and Wendy sat down with him, each of them on opposite sides. "How was your visit to the prison?" Mest asked. "I was worried; you were so upset when you came here yesterday."

Wendy blushed slightly as she remembered the events of the previous day. "It actually went pretty well," she admitted. "It was almost like talking to a different person." she paused, kicking her shoes off and lifting her feet onto the couch, hugging her knees to her chest. "Dominic wasn't anything like how I thought he would be. He was actually nice to me, and he sounded sorry for what he did." she paused, resting her chin on her knees. "It was weird."

Mest nodded in understanding. "I think I understand what you mean," he said, leaning back on his elbows. He looked away, at a place past Wendy, and the small bluenette could have sworn she saw a look of pain in the older man's eyes. She blinked, but as soon as her eyes were open again, the look was gone. _Was it just my imagination?_ she wondered, rubbing her eyes with one hand.

"So what was that important thing you wanted to ask me?" Wendy asked, changing the subject. "Surely you didn't make me walk all the way over here just to tell you about my dad?"

"Can't a guy just want to talk to his friend face to face?" Mest replied, but seeing Wendy's disapproving face, he grinned. "Okay, sorry, but there isn't anything else. That was my important question. "

Wendy sighed and ran her hand down her face. ""You made me walk fifteen minutes to ask me something you could have asked over the phone?" she said, giving Mest her best "You've gotta be kidding me" look. "We have phones for a reason. It's not like I would have turned you away or something. You could have-"

"If I kiss you, will you shut up?" Mest interrupted. For a split-second, Wendy was very confused, and then his lips were on hers, and he was kissing her. He left her effectively breathless, his hand touching her shoulder gently. By instinct Wendy melted into the kiss, her eyes closing. When Mest finally pulled away from her, there was a teasing smile on his lips. "Be my girlfriend," he said.

Wendy's heart was beating about a mile a minute, and she could feel it in the very tips of her fingers. "G-Girlfriend?" she repeated. She felt herself blush hard, her face turning bright red.

Mest chuckled lightly. "You're cute when you blush," he teased, which only made Wendy blush harder. "Yes, that's what I said. I really like you, Wendy. So what do you say? Be my girlfriend?"

Out of all the emotions that she should have felt, Wendy just felt guilty. If she did start a relationship with Mest, there was no way it would lead anywhere good. Even if it did work out, there was her disease to worry about, the one she had lied about when Mest first discovered it. Within ten years, she would most likely be dead. "But I'm not really girlfriend material," she said, attempting to dissuade Mest from his decision. "Besides, you could do so much better than me. I'm sure there are a lot of senior girls who would love to date you…"

"Under normal circumstances, you would probably be right, but at Fiore East they're all looks and no personality," Mest said. "I want a girl who doesn't just focus on her appearance. So? Will you try me out?"

Wendy paused, conflicting views battling for dominance in her thoughts. On one hand, she really did want to be Mest's girlfriend, and here he was, asking her. On the other hand, Mest didn't know who she really was. He didn't know about her disease, her family, he didn't know that this was a dead-end relationship. She took a deep breath, sorting out her thoughts. "Okay," she said finally. "I'll try you out, but there are two conditions."

Mest nodded, allowing Wendy to explain. "First," she began, holding up her hand with her pointer finger outstretched. "For now, let's take things slowly. I've only known you a few weeks, so I don't want to jump into anything right away. Second, I want this to be a secret for now. We don't tell anyone yet, in case it doesn't quite work out. We still don't know for sure how things will work out between us. For now, we take things slow and see how it goes."

"You don't want to tell anyone?" Mest said, surprised at his new girlfriend's words. "Can I at least tell Lahar? We've been friends since we were kids and I feel bad keeping this from him."

Wendy considered this for a moment before nodding. "I should probably tell Natsu too, but only those two!" she replied. She paused, a light blush coating her cheeks. "You're my first boyfriend, so I want to take things slow, you know?"

Mest chuckled. "Of course," he said. He stood up, reaching out to ruffle Wendy's hair fondly. He grabbed her hand and pulled her up from the couch. "Come on, I'll walk you home."

Wendy nodded and retrieved her coat from the ground, throwing it over her shoulders quickly as she followed Mest out of the apartment. She shut the door behind her, waiting as Mest locked up, and then followed him down the sidewalk.

The two of them chatted together,and Wendy, to her own surprise, felt quite comfortable around Mest. She had expected

"We're here," Mest said unexpectedly, and Wendy looked up from her feet and was surprised to see her house already in front of her. Wendy gave Mest and smile and the two of them ascended the front steps to Wendy's small house.

Wendy smiled at Mest once more when they were on the doorstep. "Well, I guess I'll see you later," she said.

Mest nodded, then, without warning, he leaned over and pushed Wendy's bangs from her face, brushing his lips over her forehead. The kiss was quick and whisper-soft, but it still left Wendy feeling breathless and stunned. Mest smiled at her. "I'll see you at school tomorrow, Wendy," he said, before turning around and heading back down the sidewalk.

Forcing herself to get over her initial shock, Wendy fumbled with her house key and managed to get herself inside of the door, closing it swiftly behind her. She sunk to the floor, moving her hand to her chest to feel her erratic heartbeat. "That was my first kiss," she murmured to herself. "Wait, can it be called a first kiss if I didn't actually kiss him?"

"What are you babbling on about?" Looking up, Wendy spotted Natsu at the top of the stairs by the door, his phone in hand and one earbud stuck in it. "Your face is red, and you're sitting on the floor. Did something happen?"

The comment made Wendy blush further, and she moved her hand to her cheeks to cover them. She gave Natsu a sheepish smile. "Natsu, I have something to tell you."

* * *

"_He kissed you?!"_ Natsu exclaimed, an odd mix of bewilderment and anger in his voice. He just now asks you to be his girlfriend, and then he kisses you? Who does he think he is?"

Wendy groaned. She had expected this kind of reaction from her older cousin. "For the third time, it was just a kiss!. Nothing major at all! Plus he's technically my boyfriend now. Isn't that what couples do? Do you and Lucy kiss?"

That comment shut Natsu right up. For a moment he just stared at her with a confused look on his face, then he became slightly flustered, a slight blush on his cheeks. "It's none of your business who I kiss!" he exclaimed, folding his arms over his chest defensively.

Wendy rolled her eyes. "Of course not," she replied sarcastically, a teasing grin on her lips. "But the point is that he asked me to be his girlfriend, and I said yes. I thought you should be the first to know. You're like an older brother to me, so I thought you should know. But you can't tell anyone! We're keeping our relationship a secret for now, to see how things go, and then if we think it's going somewhere, we'll tell everyone."

Natsu glanced at Wendy, a reluctantcy in his gaze, then he sighed. "Alright, if that's what you want," he relented at last, and reached out to ruffle Wendy's hair fondly. "You grow up too fast, you know that?"

Wendy batted Natsu's hands away and pouted. "Natsu, I'm not a kid anymore!" she insisted, but Natsu just chuckled.

"To me, you'll always be a kid, Wens," he said, and plopped down on the couch in the living room. At that moment, Grandine walked in with a tray of hot chocolate in her hands. "I made some hot cocoa as a treat," she said with a smile, setting the tray on the coffee table.

Natsu grinned and jumped up, grabbing a glass. "You're the best, mom!" he exclaimed.

Grandine chuckled as she watched her son begin to slurp down the hot drink, never mindful of how boiling hot it was. She sat down next to Wendy. "I've been meaning to ask you, but are you okay after visiting your father?" she asked. "You were crying pretty hard when you came out of his cell."

Wendy paused, staring down at her hot chocolate, then nodded. "Yeah, I think I am," she replied, plopping a few ice cubes in her drink and watching as they quickly melted. "I'm just happy that by the time he gets out of jail, I'll be eighteen and free to do as I please."

Grandine frowned and glanced up at Wendy, seemingly surprised. "Did we forget to tell you?" she said. "Dominic's father finally agreed to pay his bail. He's coming home tomorrow."


	10. Welcome Home

**Hello, guys! An update on tie, finally! :D Hope you all enjoy it! Wendy is having a hard time o; Please read and drop a review if you liked it! I want to hear your feedback! I got a laptop for my sweet sixteen, so now I can update more and faster than before (Hopefully)!**

**DemonHeart42: Haha, I'm glad you like it!**

**Guest: It is so happening! It already happened! xD I'm glad you're enjoying it, lovely!**

**Sakura-Fiction: haha, I'm finally updating on time! Thanks for reviewing!**

**CuteFoxSage-NightShadeOwl: As long as you review before the next chapter comes out : Thank you! Grandine is the queen of awkward situations. "Oh, by the way..." yup, that's on purpose xD**

**LeahMineStar: I already know ewe but that's beside the point. Thanks for reviewing hope you enjoy the update!**

* * *

Mest was awoken from his sleep by a banging on his front door. Groaning, he turned over and looked at his clock; it was four-thirty in the morning. Sighing loudly, he rubbed his eyes and dragged himself out of bed, making his way to where the incessant pounding was originating. "I'm coming!" he yelled, irritated. Who in their right mind came banging on someone's door at four-thirty in the morning?

A deep frown on his face, Mest threw the door open. "What do you want?" he asked in annoyance. He then froze, his eyes widening, and he rubbed them to make sure he was seeing right. "Wendy?" he murmured, shocked.

His girlfriend was in tears, her small frame shaking with sobs. Without a word she threw herself into Mest, hugging him tightly and burying her face into his chest.

Mest was shocked stiff, trying to comprehend what as happening. Feeling a wave of protectiveness wash over him, he wrapped his arms around the shivering bluenette and held her tightly. "Wendy, what are you doing here? Why are you crying?" he asked. "It's the middle of the night."

Wendy clung to Mest's shirt tightly, fisting the fabric in her hands. She was shivering, whether it was because she had come without a jacket or something else, Mest had no way of knowing. Wendy just shook her head, her tears wetting the fabric of Mest's shirt.

Mest sighed softly and bent over, hoisting the tiny girl into his arms and carrying her over to the couch. Wendy finally released his shirt and wrapped her arms around his neck, refusing to let go of him. Mest shook his head as he sat down on the couch, cradling Wendy in his arms. "Honestly, you're such a kid," he murmured, stroking her hair lightly.

"They're letting him go…" Wendy whispered, and there was fright in her voice. "He's coming back, they're letting him go!"

"Who?" Mest urged, struggling to get an answer out of the frantic girl. "Who's coming back?"

The question elicited another round of sobs from Wendy, who clung to Mest like a lifeline. "I'm afraid," she whispered. "He's going to hit me!"

All at once, the pieces clicked into place, and Mest, in his sleepy state, finally figured out what she was trying to say. "Oh god," he said. "Dominic. They're letting Dominic out of prison." Mest was definitely aware of how Wendy's father had traumatized her, so her reaction was to be expected. He paused, thinking. This was quite a situation she had gotten herself into. _I can't just let her stay here,_ he thought. _Her aunt and uncle would notice tomorrow morning and call the police._ he bit his lip, looking down at the girl in his arms. She was slowly calming down, getting a hold of herself. _But I can't leave her alone either._

"I'm sorry," Wendy whispered, drawing Mest's attention. "I didn't want to get you in trouble, but there wasn't anyone else I could come to. They'd make me talk to them, and I don't want to talk about him."

Mest let out a deep breath. "It's okay," he soothed. "Why don't I make us some tea? It'll help you calm down."

Wendy nodded dumbly and crawled off of Mest's lap, sitting down on the other side of the sofa. Mest stood up and headed into the kitchen, pulling a few mugs from his cabinet and putting a cup of water into the microwave to heat up. He poked his head back into the living room. "Wendy, what kind of tea do you like?" he asked, but when he spotted Wendy, she was asleep, curled up on the couch.

Mest sighed and poured the hot water down the drain of his kitchen sink, grabbing a blanket from the closet in the hall and draping it over Wendy's sleeping form. He sat on the arms of the couch, smoothing his girlfriend's hair with his hand. "You're a lot of trouble, you know?" he murmured fondly.

* * *

Wendy stirred at the feeling of sunlight on her eyes. She moaned softly, lifting one hand sleepily to shield her eyes from the blinding light filtering through the window above her. "Where am I?" she whispered, feeling disoriented. Then, all at once, her memories resurfaced. _Dominic. I came to Mest's house to get away from him._

Immediately Wendy felt guilty at throwing herself at Mest. She hadn't meant to cause trouble for him, but she felt as though she had no one else to turn to.

Wendy pushed the blanket off of herself and stood up, glancing around. The clock on the coffee table read nine-thirty. It seemed as though Mest wasn't awake yet. She frowned and counted the days on her fingers. Today was Thursday, meaning she was already two hours late for school. "Auntie and Uncle are probably worried sick," she murmured to herself, picking up her phone. She scrolled through the list of messages; most of them were from Natsu.

"_Wendy! Where are you?"_

"_Please answer me!"_

"_We're worried sick about you! Please come home!"_

"_Wendy, I sweat, if you don't answer this message I'm going to call the police!"_

"_Where are you!?"_

Wendy sighed. She had expected this kind of response. She quick wrote a message back to Natsu. "_Don't worry, I'm safe. I had a breakdown and went to a friend's house. You know the reasons. I'll be at school soon, tell Auntie and Uncle I'll be back after school."_

Satisfied with her work, she tucked her phone back into her pocket and looked around the apartment. Mest was nowhere to be found. "He didn't go to school without me, did he?" she wondered to herself.

"Wendy, you're awake?" Mest's voice caught her attention as the bluenette turned to see her boyfriend, looking rather tired, xit his bedroom. "I thought you would sleep longer after last night."

Wendy nodded. "I just woke up," she replied. "You could have woken me up to go to school, you know. I can't afford to miss too many days."

Mest rolled his eyes. "I was just watching out for you," he said. "Anyway, we're ditching today so that you can get some rest and get in touch with your aunt and uncle. Do they know you're here?"

Wendy shook her head. "I texted Natsu and told him to relay the message," she explained. "I told him that I would meet him at school."

Mest sighed and shook his head. "Unless you plan on going in your pajamas, I think that's out of the question," he said, gesturing to the blue and green pajamas that Wendy had been wearing when she showed up at Mest's apartment. "None of my clothes are going to fit you." he paused and placed a hand on his chin. "Wait I second, I take that back. I might have something." Wendy watched Mest curiously as he went back into his bedroom, reemerging a second later with a small bundle of clothing in his arms. "These used to be my sister's," he explained, setting them on the table. "They might be a little big, but they should work."

Wendy blinked in surprise and examined the outfit. It was a simple dress that looked a bit too formal for school. It consisted of a simple white halter neck dress that reached down to her knees and was secured at her neck with a lightweight metal ring. A pair of white socks and gray flats were included in the outfit. Wendy was curious as to why Mest would have one of his sisters' outfits in his apartment, but figured she wouldn't ask, and picked up the bundle, heading into the bathroom to change.

After putting on the outfit, she was surprised to see that it fit her fairly well, though it was a little bit long and loose around her chest. The shoes were a size too big as well. Wendy smiled at her reflection. It was a little formal than she would have liked, but for one day, she felt quite pretty.

Wendy walked back out of the bathroom. Mest had already changed out of his sleep clothes and into a tee-shirt and jeans, leaning against the wall by the door. "Ready?" he called when he noticed her. Wendy nodded. Mest opened the front door of his apartment. "I'll drive you to school. If anyone asks where you were, tell them you weren't feeling well."

Wendy nodded agreement as Mest led her down the stairs to where his car was parked in the parking lot of the apartment complex. He climbed into the driver's side of the car, and Wendy climbed into the passenger seat. "Alright, let's go!" she cheered.

Mest sighed and shook his head, a small smile on his face. "You're too cheerful sometimes," he said, then paused as he backed out of his parking spot. "I think now is a good time to really explain to me what happened last night."

Wendy hesitated; Mest was quickly ruining her good mood. "Dominic was supposed to be in jail for another five years, but his dad, my grandpa, finally decided to pay his bail after seven years. He refused to when Dominic was first arrested, saying that his son was a delinquent who deserved to be in prison. I guess he finally decided that Dominic was ready to be free." she ended the sentence on a bitter note, turning to look out the window. "Dominic wants to be my dad again. He's going to come live with me and Auntie and Uncle and Natsu. But I don't want him to be my dad again. I want him to be in prison again, where I don't have to see him."

Mest gave a sympathetic nod. "I can see why that would scare you," he said. "But maybe you should give your old man a chance. Hes been in prison for seven years. Maybe he's gotten better."

Wendy gave a wry smile. "It's in my personality to expect the worst," she replied apologetically. She glanced out the window and frowned. "I suppose you have a point, but I don't know if I'm willing to give him a chance just yet. Maybe he's changed, but can a person really change this dramatically, even when their circumstances are like his?"

Mest was silent, thinking this over. "I don't know," he admitted. "But I still think you should cut your dad some slack, at least until you know he's really changed."

Wendy shrugged. "Maybe you're right…"

* * *

Wendy and Mest made it to school during fourth period, leaving them plenty of time to get to class before the next bell rang. Wendy reconnected with Natsu during lunch and explained her disappearance, and after a lot of yelling and scolding, Natsu finally agreed to forgive her.

The rest of the day was fairly easy. When the final bell rang, Wendy rushed to grab her things from her locker and head out the door, meeting Natsu in front of the school. The bus ride back was mostly silent, and when it reached their stop, she and Natsu got off and went home like usual.

Wendy hesitated for only a moment before opening the front door to her home and walking inside. "Auntie, Uncle we're back!" she called timidly.

When the stampede ensued, Wendy was expecting it. Grandine and Igneel came barreling around the corner, and both of them began asking questions as soon as they were within range.

"Wendy!" Grandine cried, embracing her niece. "We were so worried this morning when you were missing! We thought someone had kidnapped you!"

Natsu sweat-dropped at his mother's words. "She was the only one who thought that."

Igneel, on the other hand, looked furious. "You caused your mother and I a lot of trouble, running off in the middle of the night like you did! What in the world were you thinking?"

"When I came back here, I didn't expect to hear that my daughter had turned into a delinquent." a new voice joined the conversation, one that made chills run down Wendy's spine and her whole body tense. "I thought I raised you better than that, Wendy."

Grandine finally released Wendy, turning with a happy smile towards her brother. "I apologize, she's not typically like this," she replied, but the hand squeezing Wendy's shoulder told her that her aunt understood her distress. "I think she's just a little nervous at having you home again. You can hardly blame her."

Dominic grunted in reply. When Wendy looked at him, it was like she was staring at a completely different person than the one from the prison. He had definitely showered, and was wearing a fresh pair of jeans and a tee-shirt. He was clean shaven, and the bags under his eyes were less noticeable. It was clear that he had cleaned himself up as soon as he was released that morning.

Wendy swallowed as she stared up at her father, the source of her troubles and her anxiety, and considered locking herself in her room and refusing to come out. Instead, she remembered Mest's words; give your father a chance. She didn't like it, but she bit her lip and stilled her shaking hands. "Welcome home… Dad."


	11. Familiar

**I'm so sorry that I'm so horrible with updating this story on time xD I'll get it eventually. I like this chapter, although it feels a little rushed, because you get to see some Mest/Wendy banter and more of the Wendy/Dominic tense stuff. Please review if you enjoyed it! Mendy is such a cute but undiscovered couple.**

**Guest (1): It's going to be very awkward! xD Poor Wendy.**

**Guest (2): Cliff hangers are a writer's best friend xD I use them constantly. I can't answer questions about the plot, or I would spoil it for you c; you'll just have to wait and see! There are only four more chapters though.**

**CuteFoxSage-NightShadeOwl: I cry every time T-T lol not really, but you get the idea. Yes, you can call him Dom xD I would imagine that would annoy him endlessly, even though he's actually a pretty gentle character.**

**Sakura-Fiction: Actually, that sounds yummy xDD Welp, here you go! More Dragneel/Marvell drama for yooou~ I'm a little sleep deprived right now, in case you haven't noticed. Sweg.**

**LeahMineStar: Thank you! ^^ I'm glad you're enjoying it!**

* * *

"Welcome home… Dad." Wendy's voice was soft and a bit shaky, betraying her dislike of the situation.

Grandine smiled and squeezed Wendy's shoulders lightly before turning back to Dominic. "We haven't prepared a real room for you yet," she apologized. "But the couch folds out in the living room, so you can sleep there tonight."

Dominic gave a tired smile, running one hand through his newly cut indigo hair. "It's no problem at all, Grandine," he assured. "At the moment, anything is better than when I used to sleep on."

Grandine smiled again, and through it sickened Wendy to think about it, she looked really happy now that her brother was back home. "I'm going to my room," she announced, running up the stairs before anyone could tell her no. She shut her bedroom door behind her and sat down on her bed, letting her head fall back against her pillow. "I can't do this…" she whispered to herself.

The knock came not long after. "Wendy?" Dominic called to her from his position outside of the room. "Wendy, it's your fa… it's Dominic." he seemed to reconsider the use of the word 'father'. "Can I speak with you, please?"

Naturally Wendy was reluctant, but she sighed, running a hand through her hair and sitting up. "Come in," she called back, clasping her hands in her lap. A moment later the bedroom door cracked open and Dominic poked his head inside, a tentative smile on his face. Wendy refused to meet his gaze, staring down at her hands.

Dominic let out a long breath and pulled up Wendy's desk chair, sitting down across from Wendy, making sure to keep distance between them. "I know you're not keen on me coming back here," he said. "But I think you should give me a chance. I regret what I did to you and your mother, more than anything, and I want to make it up to you."

Wendy clenched her teeth and frowned. "You don't even remember what you did to us. You were too drunk," she pointed out.

"I know," Dominic sighed dejectedly. "But I heard all about it from the officers. I did horrible things to your mother and to you." he paused. "I scarred you. I raised a weapon against you and hurt you with it. The doctor said the wound would definitely leave a scar."

"It did," Wendy murmured. "A reminder of all the horrible things you ever did. Mom had scars too. More than me." she raised a hand and traced the line of her jaw with her finger. "One here," she said. She moved her hand up to the space just below her collarbone. "One here." she touched her shoulder gentle, drawing an "x" on it. "Two here. And more that she wouldn't show me."

Dominic sighed softly, letting his head fall into his hands. "I hate myself for what I did to you. I made a promise that I would never do anything like it again. I swore off alcohol and started taking classes to help me control my stress. Now that I'm out of jail, I'm going to get a job, get my life back on track. I'm going to do everything I can to make things right between us again."

Wendy laid down, her back towards Dominic. "It's going to take more than that if you want me to like you again."

Dominic allowed the faintest of smiles onto his face before standing up. "It's starting to get late. You ought to head to bed," he said, before walking out the door and closing it behind him.

Wendy raised her hand to wipe her tears away. "Stop trying to act like my father," she whispered, but she knew Dominic couldn't hear her.

* * *

"It's so strange, having my father come back after seven years of being in prison," Wendy said as she sat at chess club with Mest. "He's different than he was when he was first arrested. I don't know how to talk to him anymore." she sighed softly, moving one of her chess pieces into place.

"If you don't focus on the game, you're open for attack," Mest said with an amused glint in his eye, moving one of his pieces to capture hers.

Wendy leaned her head on her hand and pouted at her boyfriend. "Come on, Mest, take some pity on me," she whined.

Mest grinned teasingly. "But if I did that, what would become of my reputation?"

Wendy rolled her eyes, but allowed a small smile onto her face. "There's a smile," Mest said. "Frowning doesn't suit you."

"Mest! Stop it, you're embarrassing me!" Wendy cried, covering her cheeks to hide her blush. She reached out and nudged one of her pawns forward on the chessboard. Mest glanced at his watch. "Club is almost over," he said. He moved his bishop across the board. "Checkmate, I win again!"

Wendy groaned and let her head fall onto the tabletop. "I'll never catch up," she complained.

Mest laughed and glanced across the room to where Lucy and Levy were still engaged in heated combat. Suddenly Lucy's eyes lit up and she made her move. "Checkmate!" she cried, gaining the attention of the entire club.

"How are you doing this?" Levy exclaimed. "That's your fourth win in a row! Geez, I better step up my game!"

Wendy laughed and clapped. "Good job Lucy!" she called. The blonde bowed mockingly before beginning to clean up after her game.

"Next time won't be so easy," Levy promised, winking at her long-time friend. "I'll get you back for sure! You just wait!"

Wendy approached Lucy after the club was over. "How'd you get so good all of a sudden?" she asked.

Lucy winked and pressed a finger to her lips. "My secret," she replied. "Sorry, but now that I have a shot at number one, I can't have it leaking out."

Wendy giggled and covered her mouth with one hand. "Alright, fine, I won't bug you about it," she said.

"But enough about me," Lucy interrupted quickly. "Talk to me. You and Mest are together now, aren't you?" she flashed her tiny friend a knowing look.

Wendy snapped her head up to look at Lucy in surprise, then she blushed beet red and covered her face with her hands. "Is it that obvious?" she asked softly. "Don't tell anyone! They're not supposed to know yet. Natsu's the only one who knows, plus Lahar if Mest already told him."

Lucy squealed and clapped her hands. "What did I tell you? I knew it!" she exclaimed. "Of, how cute! I can totally see it." she continued to fawn over this thought as Wendy sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, just keep it between us, okay?" she said, tugging on Lucy's arm meaningfully. "We don't know if this is actually going to work out yet or not. Let's say it's a trial run, and if we think we're getting somewhere, we'll let people know."

Lucy nodded. "I see. Is Mest your first boyfriend?" she asked.

Wendy nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed. "I've never felt a need to date before. I guess I never found someone who I was really interested in that way." she shrugged.

"And Mest is different?" Lucy finished, a teasing glint in her eyes. Wendy blushed and shoved her blonde friend lightly.

Clasping her hands behind her back, Wendy glanced down at her feet. "Yeah, he is. Somehow he can always tell exactly what I'm thinking and how I'm feeling, almost like he can read my mind, and he knows just what to say to make me feel better, even when he's just joking around," she answered. "I've never met a guy like him before."

Lucy nodded. "That's how I felt about Natsu when I first met him a few years ago," she agreed. "I thought he was a weirdo, and he was so strange, and different. But I'd never met anyone like him before."

Wendy giggled. "That's Natsu in a nutshell," she joked. "Just add in the fact that he eats a lot and likes to fight and you've got him down."

Lucy laughed. "You have that right," she agreed.

Wendy and Lucy talked all the way to the bus, where they parted ways so that Wendy could get on the bus home. Wendy sighed and plopped down in the front seat as she always did, glancing out the window. These bus rides home on Tuesdays and Fridays were always so soothing and quiet, it gave her some time to really think, especially since she had so much on her mind right now. She frowned slightly as she went over the past few days' events. In the last week she had finally confronted her father, became Mest's girlfriend, and then learned that her father was coming home five years early. It was like an emotional roller coaster.

Wendy giggled at her little analogy as she stepped off the bus and walked home.

When she entered the house, Wendy called to her aunt and uncle like she always did. Venturing into the TV room, she saw her aunt and uncle sitting with her father on the couch, watching some kind of drama on the screen. She made her way over and leaned against the back of the couch, her head between her aunt and uncle. "Whatcha watching?" she asked.

"A british drama," Igneel answered, though he looked endlessly bored as he watched the finely dressed young actors. "Not my choice."

Wendy giggled and turned to her aunt, who was engrossed in the scene in front of her. "I see," she mused. It was only then that she noticed her father, dead silent, on the other side of the couch, his arm slung casually over the back of it. "Oh, um, hi dad," she greeted awkwardly.

Dominic flashed Wendy a small smile. "Welcome home, Wendy," he replied. "How was your day?"

The effortless comfort Dominic seemed to display only made Wendy more wary. "Fine," she replied. "I have a lot of homework, though. I should probably start on that." she turned to leave, but Grandine grabbed her before she could run.

"Remember, Wendy, tonight is family game night!" she reminded her niece with a smile. "I'll call you down when it's time."

Wendy nodded and retreated up to her room, plopping down on her bed with a long sigh. Family game night? It sounded like torture at the moment. Reluctantly, she opened up her math textbook and began to work on her problems. She'd worry about it later.

* * *

An hour later, Grandine called her down. "Natsu, Wendy, time for games!" she announced. Wendy sighed and closed her textbook, sliding it back into her backpack and standing to go downstairs. She made sure to move as slowly as possible, hoping that her family would start without her. "I wish Mest were here," she grumbled to herself. "Then at least I wouldn't be on my own."

Unfortunately, Mest wasn't there, and her family had, in fact, waited patiently for her. She took a seat next to Natsu on the floor, tucking her legs to her left side and leaning on her hand for balance. "What game are we playing?" she asked.

"The Game of Life," Grandine replied. "We gave you the pink car, because we know that's your favorite."

Wendy blushed. "Auntie, I'm not a kid anymore," she insisted.

Dominic chuckled. "Pink always was your favorite color," he said.

"Let's just play!" Wendy interrupted, her cheeks flushed pink. "Uncle, you go first, and we'll work our way down by age."

Igneel obliged, and the game begun. Wendy was less than enthusiastic about having to spend time with her father, but as she watched him joking around with Grandine and Igneel, she actually began to feel more comfortable. It reminded her, vaguely, of the years she spent before second grade, when she turned seven and everything started to fall apart. When her mother was alive, and her father wasn't drinking, and their family was happy. Dominic's smile was familiar, comforting, and she actually began to enjoy herself as family game night went on.

"Dad, you cheated!" Wendy exclaimed. "You moved your piece too many spots!" she pointed to the game board expressively.

"Cheat? Me?" Dominic replied, pointing to himself and faking offense. "What kind of person do you think I am?"

"I'm gonna have to side with Wendy on this one," Natsu put in, raising his hand in an attempt to be noticed.

At the end of the night, after the game was over and put away, Wendy went to bed, feeling exhausted from the day's excitement. She yawned as she climbed under the covers, throwing them over her shoulders. It was only then that she realized what she had done.

She had acknowledged Dominic as her dad, and meant it.


	12. One Year

**Here's to another chapter! Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing my stories, it means a lot! Not much to say on this shapter except that there's a lot of drama c; Hope you like, please review and tell me your thoughts!**

**DemonHeart42: Thank you! Here's the update!**

**LeahMineStar: Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it!**

**Guest: Thank you! is it really the only Wendy-centric fic you've read? There's quite a few, actually.**

**Guest (2): I tend to move fast through my fics when I write them. That's why I'm working on pacing with the next Nalu that I'm working on. This is only a fifteen-chapter story, though, so I had to clear things up with Dominic in order to get to the real stuff.**

**CuteFoxSage-NightShadeOwl: Thank ya, friend! ;D Oh schnap indeed, many things going on right now. Geez, this fic is depressing xD**

* * *

When Wendy woke up the next morning, she felt positively disgusting. Her throat and stomach ached horribly, and she could hardly swallow thanks to the dryness in her throat. She groaned and turned over in bed. She was almost certain her increasing number of RED attacks was the cause of her pain; the frequency of her attacks had increased from once a week to twice or even three times a week, nearly every other day. She remembered Porlyusica telling her that before her mother died she would have attacks twice a day and she was practically bedridden, and the thought made Wendy want to cry.

"I don't think I can go to school today," Wendy croaked when Grandine came in to wake her.

Grandine made her way over to her niece's bed and placed her hand on the poor girl's forehead. "You have a fever," she said. "You stay in bed. I'll call Porlyusica later and have her come take a look at you."

Wendy tried to dissuade her aunt, telling her that it was fine, there was no need to trouble the old doctor, but Grandine was adamant and insisted that she have a full checkup. "Don't worry about anything, hun," she said, smiling. "You just make sure to rest up and drink plenty of water."

Wendy nodded and pulled the covers of her bed around her shoulders. "Thanks, Auntie," she said, closing her eyes and willing herself to fall asleep.

* * *

She woke up a few hours later to the sun shining in her eyes. Blinking, she raised a hand feebly to block the glare and sat up, rubbing her head. She still felt sick, but she dragged herself out of bed anyway.

She found her aunt in the kitchen preparing a few pieces of toast and butter. "Ah, you're just in time," she older woman greeted. "I just got off the phone with Porlyusica, so she'll be over shortly to give you a check-up." she put the toast she was preparing onto a plate and set it down at the table, gesturing for Wendy to sit. "I made you something light in case your stomach was hurting," she explained.

Wendy smiled kindly at Grandine. "Thanks, Auntie, you're the best," she murmured, picking up a piece of toast and nibbling on the crust. She wasn't hungry, but she knew how important it was to get some food in her.

Partway through her breakfast, Porlyusica showed up at the front door. Grandine opened the door and let the elderly doctor inside, telling her that Wendy was in the kitchen eating breakfast. She sat down at the kitchen table across from Wendy and laid her briefcase on the table. "Good morning, Wendy. How are you feeling?" she asked.

"A little better after eating," Wendy replied. "But my throat and stomach hurt pretty badly. "

Porlyusica nodded, pulling a thermometer from her bag and taking Wendy's temperature. "You're warm," she said. "Temperature of 97 degrees. Not horrible, but not great either. When was your last attack?"

"Two days ago," Wendy replied. "In the middle of the night. It was the first time I've been woken up having an attack." she paused, frowning. "I'm having an attack about every three days now."

Porlyusica pressed her lips together so that they formed a straight line. "I see," she murmured. "How's your breathing?"

"Okay, I suppose," Wendy answered. "A little painful, but not too much."

Porlyusica nodded. "One more thing," she said, reaching into her bag and pulling out a cotton swab. She held it out to Wendy. "Use this and scrape the inside of your cheek. I'm going a run a few tests back at the hospital. I'll call you when I get the results."

Wendy took the swab obediently and scraped one of the soft ends against the inside of her cheek. Handing it back to Porlyusica, the older woman dropped the swab into a small bag and sealed it. She then stood up, placing the sealed bag in her briefcase before heading towards the door. "You'll get a phone call from me later," she said before letting herself out.

Wendy sweat-dropped at her doctor's odd behavior. Grandine didn't seem to notice, however, and smiled at Wendy. "Now you just relax and focus on getting better," she said, patting her niece on the head quickly. "I'm going to run some errands, but I'll be back soon."

Wendy nodded and headed over to the couch. "Where's da-Dominic?" she asked, sitting down and grabbing a blanket off the floor.

"He's out looking for a job," Grandine replied, shouldering her purse and grabbing her car keys. "I won't be long. Bye, hun."

Wendy waved goodbye to her aunt before flipping on the TV, scrolling over her messages on her phone as she did. She smiled as she read the texts from her friends. It seemed like Natsu had alerted everyone of her day off today. There were messages from Chelia, Lucy and Levy, and one from Natsu as well. She paused in her scrolling when she spotted a message from Mest, and her smile broadened.

"_I heard you stayed home sick today. How are you doing?"_ the message read.

"_Fine,"_ she wrote back. "_Just a little under the weather. I should be fine by tomorrow."_

She sent the message and waited a few minutes, and the reply came quicker than she expected. "_Don't you dare come to school with a contagious disease.. I don't want to catch your sick."_

Wendy giggled, rolling her eyes. "_I promise I'm not contagious,"_ she replied, smiling at her message before sending it. She sighed, snuggling into the blanket and laying her head on the arm of the couch. She hated being sick, but a day off once in a while wasn't such a bad thing.

She was just beginning to doze off when the sound of a phone ringing snapped her out of her daze. Groaning softly, she kicked her feet out from under the blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders, standing up and walking over to the phone. She held the device to her ear. "Hello?" she asked sleepily.

"Wendy? This is Porlyusica." Wendy blinked in surprise. She hadn't expected the call for a while longer. "I've gotten back your test results, but I think I should tell you in person. Is your aunt there?"

"She's out running errands, but she ought to be back soon," Wendy replied. "Should we stop by the hospital when she comes back?"

"If you're feeling up to it," Porlyusica replied, and Wendy smiled softly at the older woman's hidden concern for her patients. Porlyusica may act defensive and tough, but Wendy could tell she had a soft heart. "We'll be over sometimes in the next hour," Wendy told her before hanging up the phone. She immediately called her aunt to let her know about the appointment.

Grandine picked up her phone on the second ring. "Wendy? Is something wrong?" she asked, sounding a bit worried.

Wendy laughed lightly. Grandine was such a worrier. "Porlyusica just called about my test results," she explained. "I thought I should tell you now, she wants to talk to us in person, at the hospital."

"Great timing! I was just dropping off something at a neighbors house. I'll be home in five minutes, tops. Go get ready!" Grandine hastily hung up the phone, and Wendy chuckled and set it back on the receiver before heading up to her room to get dressed. Slipping on a loose-fitting tank top and a pair of sweats for comfort, she weaved her hair into a quick braid before heading downstairs.

Grandine was already waiting for her, and smiled as Wendy entered the kitchen. "Are you sure you're up to going to the hospital?" she asked.

Wendy smiled and nodded. "I'm fine, Auntie, really. I feel a bit better after eating and resting." her throat still ached terribly, a fact which was evident in her scratchy voice, but she was curious to see what the test results showed.

Grandine nodded, satisfied, and the two of them climbed into Grandine's car and headed off to the hospital. Grandine led Wendy inside and signed her in while she waited in the foyer, she hastily motioned for her to follow her into the exam room.

Wendy stood up and followed her aunt into the nearby exam room, where Porlyusica was already waiting, a clipboard on the desk in front of her. She looked up as Wendy entered. "Good afternoon," she greeted. "Sit down, and we'll get right down to business."

Wendy followed Porlyusica's instructions and sat down in one of the spare seats, next to her aunt. "What were the results of the test?" she asked.

Porlyusica paused, rifling through the stack of papers attached to her clipboard. "After testing your saliva sample in our labs, we've deduced that your Respiratory Expulsion Disorder is growing exceedingly aggressive, and after further inspection, we've discovered traces that your disease might be evolving, into Stage 4 RED."

Wendy held her breath, her eyes widening. Stage 4, the final stage before death. She swallowed hard, feeling her heart beating in her fingertips. "But that can't be right!" she insisted. "I was only recently diagnosed with Stage 3. You said it could take up to fifteen years."

"'Up to' being the key words," Porlyusica replied. "I'm sorry, Wendy, I really am, but unless you can have the operation in the next year, I don't think you're going to make it, and one year is the maximum time it could take. You could start having life-threatening attacks within the next few days."

Wendy squeezed her hands into fists, attempting to stop their shaking, but it only made it worse. "But, we still don't have the money…" she murmured.

"It's possible that we could give you a slight discount just because of how dire your situation is," Porlyusica offered. "But it wouldn't be too much. Maybe a few hundred dollars off the original bill. This hospital has to make its money somehow."

Wendy reached up to wipe her tears from her eyes, though it was a futile attempt. More tears replaced them. "Isn't there anything we can do?" she pleaded. "I don't… I don't want to die."

"We're not entirely sure you have Stage 4 RED yet," Porlyusica pointed out. "It's only the beginning stages. I give it two months until you're fully qualified to be diagnosed with Stage 4. Until then, however, I'm going to have to come to your house weekly to take blood samples. This part of your treatment is extremely crucial. We'll also have to prescribe you new medicines."

"We need more time before we jump into decisions," Grandine insisted, but Porlyusica was firm and unmoving.

"Like it or not, you're out of time," the elderly woman snapped. "Surgery is the only way we'll be able to get rid of all the diseased tissue in her lungs and stomach, and even then it's a bit of a broad hope. She still might not survive the surgery."

Wendy whimpered fearfully, squeezing her hands together until her knuckles turned white. "What happens if the surgery fails?" she asked softly, her voice wavering.

Porlyusica hesitated. Wendy was a nice, sweet, smart girl. She didn't deserve this. "By now you have quite a bit of diseased tissue," she began. "To remove all of it without permanently damaging your body is a tedious and risky process. The worst case scenario is that we go through with the surgery and discover that there's too much of the disease to remove safely. At that point we have no choice but to manually stop your heart. It's a quick and painless death. You'd be asleep the whole time. That's favorable to what would happen if you were to die of one of your RED attacks."

Wendy swallowed hard. Talking about her own death made her feel sick.

"If the surgery is a success, however," Porlyusica continued. "You would spend a few weeks in the hospital attached to a breathing machine until you fully recovered. That's anywhere between a week and a few months depending on the circumstances. Then you would be free to go home, completely cured."

That option was definitely favorable. At least if she had the surgery her death would be quick and painless. But then there was the financial issue. A five hundred thousand dollar operation was definitely not easy to attain, especially for the Dragneel's, who were on the bottom end of the financial food chain. But it was the only way she would live to see next year.

"…I'll discuss the matter with my brother and husband later tonight," Grandine finally spoke up, squeezing Wendy's hand reassuringly. "I'll try to get back to you later this week, if I can."

Porlyusica nodded. "That's fine," she replied. "I'll talk with the surgeons about a possible discount and alert them of your situation."

Grandine offered Porlyusica a grateful smile and stood up to leave. Wendy stood as well, quickly thanking her doctor as she followed her aunt outside.

The car ride home from the hospital was dead silent as she two drove home. Wendy sat with her hands in her lap, staring down at them with a solemn expression. When she was first diagnosed with a terminal illness seven years ago, she never would have guessed that she would die before the age of fifteen. Porlyusica had given her a year to live. All of her dreams of going to college, becoming an english teacher, getting married and starting a family, growing old with the people she loved, all of those dreams seemed like a child's fantasy now. She touched her stomach lightly, feeling the way it ached, and tears came to her eyes. To think that this was what her life added up to. A fourteen year old girl, cursed to die without ever leaving a legacy.

Wendy lifted her eyes as the car pulled into the garage of her house, and she spotted Igneel's car in the spot beside them. "Dad and Uncle are back from job-hunting," she commented, climbing out of the car.

Grandine nodded. "They told me they'd be back by noon," she replied, and flashed Wendy a tired smile. "I'll go talk to them. Why don't you have some lunch and rest a bit?"

Wendy gave a small nod and went up to her room, which was next to her parents' room. As she laid down on her bed, she could hear the hushes whispers of the three adults talking, specifically Grandine's voice, probably relaying the information she had just heard. Then she heard, loud and clear, her father's voice, his anguished cries breaking the silence. "My daughter! Oh, my baby! What have I done?"

That sent Wendy over the edge, and she curled up into a ball on her bed and began to cry, burying her face in the blankets. One year is all she had.

If she had known how quickly her death was approaching, she never would have tried so hard.


	13. Help Me

**There are so many feels in this chapter, I don't know how to describe it. I hope you all like it! The climax begins now :3**

**Guest: You know how I love them feels.**

**CuteFoxSage-NightShadeOwl: Lol, I know how to pull your heartstrings, hm? Or at least I think I do xD**

**LeahMineStar: Whoops, can't answer that questions! It will be soon, though. Very soon.**

**Guest (2): Thank you! cx You'll jut have to read and find out. /evil laugh/**

**Ice and Thunder: Thank you, darling x3 You're sweet.**

* * *

The next morning, Wendy still felt terrible, but for a different reason than before. Her cheeks were tear-stained from crying herself to sleep the night before, her hair mussed and her clothing tussled from a long, bitter night of tossing and turning. However, she knew she had to return to school today, and dragged herself out of bed with a groan, walking to her mirror to check her reflection. Running a brush through her tangled hair and straightening her clothes, she rubbed her face to rid herself of the traces of her night and produced an experimental smile. Deciding that she looked presentable, she sighed and headed downstairs to where her aunt was already awake and fixing breakfast.

To her surprise, her own father sat at the table, reading a newspaper. "What are you doing up so early, dad?" she asked, taking a seat across from him.

Dominic set down the newspaper and smiled. "I found a job that would take me," he said. "My first day is today. I'll be working as a janitor, so the pay isn't very good and it's not the most honorable job, but it'll help bring in money for that operation you need."

The thought of the operation made Wendy want to cry all over again, but she held back her emotions and gave her father a smile. "That's great, dad! I hope it goes well," she said.

At that moment Natsu entered the room, looking half-asleep and near-dead. He grumbled a muffled 'good morning' and plopped down in the seat next to Wendy's, laying his head on the table.

Wendy giggled. "Tired?" she teased. Natsu just groaned in response.

"Porlyusica's been working me really hard," he explained. "I most certainly am tired. " he paused and lifted his head, rubbing his eyes and grinning his signature grin. "But it's no big deal. if it's for my baby cousin, I'll do anything." he ruffled her hair affectionately.

Wendy made a noise of protest and batted Natsu's hand away. "Natsu!" she exclaimed, blushing in embarrassment. "How many times do I have to tell you? I'm not a baby anymore!"

Natsu chuckled and dug into his breakfast eagerly. "I'm glad you're feeling better," he said."

Wendy rolled her eyes, but a smile was on her lips as she stood up and excused herself from the table to get ready for school. She pulled on a pair of faded blue jean shorts and a red tee, pinning her bangs back with a pair of clips before pulling her hair into a ponytail at the back of her head. Once she was finished, she gave herself a quick once-over in the mirror and went back downstairs to where her cousin was waiting for her.

Natsu smiled when Wendy finally approached and handed her her back throwing his own over his shoulder. "Ready to go, Wens?" he asked.

Wendy nodded as she stepped into her showed. "Bye, Auntie and Uncle! Bye, dad!" she called, heading out the door. She closed it carefully behind her.

The bus showed up exactly on time that morning, and Wendy climbed on like she always did, taking her regular spot in the front seat. Natsu sat down with her, sighing. "I wish we didn't have school today," he complained. "It's so boring. The only good thing that happens is when I get to fight Fullbuster. And even then it can be pretty boring."

Wendy giggled. "With that attitude, you'll never like school!" she replied in a teasing manner.

"I don't want to like school!" Natsu insisted, laying his forehead against the seat in front of him. "I want to take a nap!"

"That's doesn't make sense," Wendy laughed, but she just shook her head to clear her thoughts. "Well, whatever.." she stood up to climb off the bus as it reached the school. "I'm off to meet Mest. See you after school!"

Natsu waved goodbye to Wendy, and the blue-haired girl took off down the sidewalk towards the school. She was in a surprisingly good mood despite the fact that She had just learned that she had only a year to live, or less. She hummed to herself as she walked into the school, heading towards her locker to drop off her stuff. To her surprise, Mest was already waiting for her.

"Morning," Mest greeted as she approached him. He leaned over and dropped a kiss on her forehead.

"Mest!" Wendy exclaimed in surprise, blushing. "What are you trying to do, broadcast our relationship to the whole school?" she was flustered, though, and struggling to cover it up.

Mest chuckled and leaned against the locker next to Wendy's as she obtained her stuff. "What's wrong, don't want to be seen with me?" he asked in mock offense.

Wendy sighed. "You know that's not the case," she insisted. "But… maybe it is time we started telling people. It's been a few weeks, and I really think this could go somewhere."

Mest blinked in surprise. "Are you sure? You're not weirded out by the age difference or anything like that?" he ran a hand through his hair. "I mean, if you're not completely sure…"

Wendy giggled. "You're cute when you blush," she teased, tapping Mest on the nose childishly. "No, I'm not weirded out. It's only three years, right? The real question is what we do once you go off to college. That is, if we're still together by then." she shrugged, balancing her books on her hip as she began to walk down the hall. "Come on, we don't want to be late for class."

Mest blinked, slightly stunned by his girlfriend's response. She wasn't intimidated by his age, and she actually thought they might make it into his college years. Nodding dumbly, he followed followed Wendy into their structure class, sitting down in the seat next to her's like he did every day. He paused, blinking. "Hey, Wendy," he began, grabbing the younger girl's attention. "I've been meaning to ask you, that night, when you told me about your dad; what made you trust me enough that you would tell me about such a traumatic experience in your life?"

Wendy shrugged, opening her notebook and doodling in the margins of her notes. "At the time, I wasn't really emotionally sound, I guess. Every time visiting day came around, it messed with my head and made me more emotional. At the time, I wanted to be able to talk to someone who had never met my dad before, someone who would be content to just comfort me instead of trying to change my mind." she paused, giving a sheepish smile. "I guess you were the first person who came to mind." she shrugged nonchalantly. "It helped that you didn't know me as much as my family. You were my only friend at the time outside my family. I'm not very social."

Mest raised his eyebrows at Wendy's response. The only one she could trust, her first friend; he was touched by her automatic trust in him.

"I think that when I saw you, I just recognized you as a good person," Wendy went on, tapping her chin with her pencil. "I knew that you would be open-minded."

"Speaking of your unusual family," Mest said, wanting the change the subject. He was embarrassed by the way Wendy was talking about him. "How are things going now that your dad is home? I trust he's not causing my Wendy any trouble? Because if he is I'll have to beat him up."

Wendy laughed and shook her head helplessly. "Actually, things with Dad are going great. He's back to being the guy he was before he started drinking." she paused, leaning her head on her hand. "I've thought about it, and I think it's safe to say that I like having him home."

Mest grinned. "See? I told you if you gave him a chance, it would all work out in the end," he said. "I'm happy for you."

Wendy smiled brightly in return. "I'm happy too. I can finally have a decent relationship with my father. Uncle Igneel is great and all, but he's not exactly the serious type. I feel like I can open up to my dad now. Does that make any sense to you?"

Mest chuckled at his girlfriend's enthusiasm. "Yeah, I think it does."

* * *

For the next few days, things calmed down a lot for Wendy. As her relationship towards her father strengthened, she became happier, more cheerful. She smiled and joked around more, and for a while, she was able to leave her struggles behind.

Wendy hummed along to the music on her phone as she picked up her room, a content smile on her face. She replaced a book she had been reading on her shelf, but she had to do a double-take when she noticed something that hadn't been there before. She frowned, furrowing her eyebrows. It was a folder, laying atop her other books, stuffed with paper so much that it was overflowing. Her frown deepened, and she reached out a pulled the folder off the shelf, glancing at the label. Her eyes widened.

"Lyra Marvell," she whispered. The stamp of East Fiore Community Hospital was clear in the corner of the folder, showing that it was an official document. "How did this end up in here?" she wondered to herself. She was pretty sure she would remember Porlyusica giving it to her.

For a moment Wendy just stared at the folder in her hand, her thoughts warring over whether she should open it or not. All of the information on her mother's case of RED, her treatments, medications, symptoms, they were all here, confined in the tiny paper folder. At the thought, Wendy's hands began to shake. The answers to her problems could be inside.

Wendy didn't wait to ask for an invitation. She grasped the top half of the folder and pulled it open, careful not to spill any of the papers inside. She stared down at the front page, reading the words slowly. "Lyra Marvell. X754-X786. Cause of death: Stage 4 Respiratory Expulsion Disorder, attained hereditarily." meaning she got it from her parents. Wendy bit her lip and turned the page. On it was a date, and what looked like a journal entry.

"January 15, x777," she read aloud. "The patient, Lyra Marvell, reported her first serious RED attack. It has become quite obvious that she has acquired Stage 4 RED. The disease is resisting our medications, but with the new operation still not safe to use on patients, all we can do it wait. I fear there is nothing more we can do for her. Our hope is that by the time her young daughter, who has also acquired the disease, becomes old enough to have the operation, it will be something that will be available to her."

Wendy closed the folder, not wanting to read more. A tear slipped down her cheek, and she hastily wiped it away, tucking the folder back onto her shelf. Perhaps another day, she would read more.

Wendy sat down on her bed, curling her legs up to her chest and hugging them, resting her chin on her knees. Reaching for her phone, she shut off her music and dialed Mest's phone number.

Mest picked up on the third ring. "Hello?" he said.

"It's Wendy," Wendy replied. "What's up?"

"Trying to clean up my apartment," Mest replied with a sigh. "Did you need something?"

Wendy paused, toying idly with the hem of her skirt. "I was bored, so I thought I would call you," she lied. She really did want to tell Mest about the folder, about her secret, but at the same time she was worried about how he would react. "If you're busy, though, I can call you back later…"

"No, it's fine," Mest replied immediately. "I could use a break from cleaning anyway. How are things at home?"

Wendy smiled. "Fine. Hectic, but we're getting along. My dad got a job as a janitor, so he's starting to make money again." she paused, taking a deep breath and laying down on her back. "Auntie and Uncle are as energetic as ever. It's strange not having Natsu around, though. His new job is taking up all his time." Not that she was complaining. After all, he was doing it all for her.

"It's boring in an apartment all by myself," Mest complained. He said something else, but Wendy didn't hear him. She was distracted by the pain building in her throat. This time the pain came faster than it ever had before. She lifted her hand to her mouth, and the phone fell from her grasp, landing with a soft thud on the mattress under her. She began to cough into her hand, her spasms becoming stronger.

"Wendy?" Mest's voice called out to her through the phone, a worried undertone in his voice. "Wendy, can you hear me?"

Wendy curled in on herself, her small form wracked with violent coughing. Each spasm of her throat made pain shoot down her limbs and into her head, and her vision swam.

"Wendy! What's going on?" Mest's voice was borderline frantic now as he struggled to grasp the situation.

Wendy began to tear up from the pain, and fear struck her heart. Could this be it, the day that she finally died? Suddenly it didn't seem like such a far-fetched idea. She lifted her hand weekly, scrambling for the phone and pulling it towards her. "Mest…" she croaked out in a hoarse whisper. "Help me…"

Another round of coughing interrupted her, and she curled in on herself, her head throbbing. Black spots swam at the edges of her vision, and she groaned softly. Her eyes rolled up to the back of her head and she felt her entire body go numb, collapsing into a shaking heap on the bed. And with that, she lost all sense of herself, and the world around her went dark.


	14. I Love You

**This is the climax of the story! Well, I know what's going to happen, but you don't! xD don't mind me, I'm just a little hyper. I just had anutter butter covered in white chocolate. It's my mom's favorite cookie to make.**

**Aaaanyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Wendy's just had a life-threatening RED attack, and found a record of her mother's disease. After this is the finale and the epilogue, so one more chapter (I'm rolling both into one). Thank you all so much for supporting me! I didn't know there were so many Dorandy fans out there! c: Please drop a review! This is exactly 3000 words long.**

**nerdalert999: xDD I don't blame you! As soon as I wrote that cliffhanger, I felt so evil. I'm glad you're enjoying this story!**

**Schreeching Harmony: Noo, cliffhangers are good! xD Thanks for reviewing!**

**Sakura-Fiction: Biggest cliffhanger ever xD I love cliffhangers, they're my best friend.**

**LeahMineStar: Thanks you so much! ^^**

**CuteFoxSage-NightShadeOwl: Heehee /evil grin/ You multi-langual person, you. Thanks, darling.**

**Guest: Thank you so much! Your review was so sweet, I swear I almost cried! (I'm a crier, I am) It would be so scary to be in Wendy's situation (which is partly why I made up a disease instead of using a real one) but Mest, aw man, I feel ya. xD Thank you again!**

**Ice and Thunder: Thank you! I hope you keep supporting this!**

* * *

Wendy was caught somewhere between sleep and waking. Her mind felt fuzzy and her limbs refused to move. She could hear a voice, saying gentle words to her, and it soothed the fear in her heart some to know that she wasn't alone. Straining her ears, she tried to zone in on the voice she was hearing until the words became more clear.

"… so please, come back to me, Wendy. I love you."

_Mest?_ she recognized the voice right away. Now more than ever, she wanted to open her eyes, but she lacked the strength to do so. She felt a gentle pressure on her hand, as though someone was squeezing it, and her heart leapt.

"I'll be back soon," Mest promised, and Wendy felt his lips press against her forehead briefly before he pulled back and his hand unwound from hers.

The absence of Mest's form next to her made Wendy feel empty. She stopped straining her senses, finding no need for it anymore, and the moment she did, she felt herself slipping once more. _I want to stay…_ she willed herself, but she could feel the tug of drowsiness pulling her down, and she allowed herself to fall into another dreamless sleep.

* * *

Wendy wasn't sure how long she had been asleep before she woke up once more. This time she felt she could move, if only a little, and with a bit of effort, she managed to pry her eyes open. Her vision was incredibly blurred and fuzzy, and she could hardly make out what was going on around her. Eventually she became aware of the voices around her, a crowd of people murmuring softly to each other.

She groaned, a nearly inaudible sound, but the reaction was immediate. She heard a gasp from beside her, and a voice call out her name. She turned her head ever so slightly and squinted, recognizing the pink hair of her cousin.

"She's waking up!" Natsu exclaimed, squeezing Wendy's hand tightly. He leaned over, and Wendy noticed that there were tears in his eyes. ""Wendy, baby girl, can you hear me? Give me a sign, Wens."

Wendy managed the tiniest of smiles and squeezed her cousin's hand with some difficulty. "I can hear you," she whispered. Bit by bit she could feel her strength beginning to return. Her vision became clearer, and she was able to move her head more easily. She tilted her head to the side, her vision beginning to clear completely.

The crowd surrounding her bed was larger than she anticipated. Lucy stood behind Natsu, her hand on his shoulder, smiling down at her, and Levy was at her side, trying to keep from crying. Gray and Juvia were there, and Mira and Lisanna. Even Gajeel came to see her. There was a face missing, though, and she frowned. "Where's Mest?" she asked, her voice starting to return to her. "I want to see him."

"He left earlier this morning," Lucy replied softly, brushing Wendy's hair from her face. "I can call him if you like. I'm sure he'd rush right over to see you."

Wendy noded. "Please," she replied, and Lucy pulled her phone out, smiling, and retreated to the corner to speak in private. Wendy turned her attention back to her friends. "I have to tell you all something important."

"They already know," Natsu interrupted. "Porlyusica told them everything. I'm sorry."

Wendy smiled and squeezed Natsu's hand reassuringly. "It's fine," she replied. "I should have told you all a lot sooner that I was sick. I'm sorry for lying to all of you like that."

Levy shook her head. "We understand," she murmured. "We're just sad that we can't do anything about it." immediately recognizing her slip, she bit her tongue, looking guilty.

The mood soured instantly. Wendy sighed. "Natsu, help me sit up?" she asked. Natsu nodded and helped her up while Levy set up a pillow to support her back and head. Wendy sighed when she was finally upright. "Much better," she decided with a smile. "Now will someone tell me what happened?"

Natsu couldn't help but smile. "Impatient as ever," he sighed. "You had an attack in your bedroom while you were on the phone with Mest. He was so worried about you that he drove right over, picked the lock to our front door, and drove you to the hospital, since none of us were home. You gave us all a scare. A big one. We thought you were dead."

"That's right," Wendy murmured as the memory came flooding back. She felt her heart warm at the thought of how worried Mest was over her. She spotted Lucy making her way back to them and her hopes soared. "Is he coming?"

Lucy grinned. "It wasn't easy to find him, I'll tell you that. I didn't have his number, so I had to call Sherry Blendy and get his number from her,: she replied. "But yeah, he's coming. All I had to say was 'she's awake' and he hung up."

Wendy gave a small laugh, but immediately cringed at the pain that flared in her stomach and throat. It as worse than anything she'd ever had after an attack. "Natsu?" she asked. "How long… was I asleep?"

Natsu bit his lip. "You've been in a comatose state for almost three days," he replied. "We didn't know if you would live or not." he paused. "Now that I think about it, we should tell Porlyusica that you're awake now."

"I'm on it," Lisanna announced, saluting with a comic grin and leaving the room.

"Three days?" Wendy murmured in shock. "There's no way… but I've never…" she trailed off, unsure of what to say. And then it dawned on her. "It was his voice. He called out to me, and I heard him. He woke me up."

"You mean Mest right?" Natsu clarified. Wendy rolled her eyes and nodded. "It obviously wasn't you," she teased, eyes shining in amusement.

"Burned!" Gajeel called, a broad grin on his face. "She knows how to dish it out!"

Natsu shot Gajeel an irritated glare before turning back to Wendy. "Porlyusica said it would take you a couple of days to get back on your feet, but then you'll be good as new." he smiled at her.

Wendy didn't return the smile. She knew for a fact that 'good as new' would last at most a week before she had another attack. She opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off when Lisanna returned, Porlyusica in tow.

The pink-haired doctor took one look at the group in the room and scowled. "Get out, all of you," she snapped. "That includes you, Dragneel." she cast a stern gaze on Natsu, who pouted but reluctantly released Wendy and stuffed his hands in his pickets, following his friends out of the room and into the hall.

Porlyusica turned to Wendy, taking a seat beside her bed. "You're lucky to be alive," she said straight off.

Wendy smiled radiantly at her doctor. "I know," she replied.

Porlyusica's frown deepened. "If you have another attack, you know what it means, correct?" she pressed.

Wendy remained smiling, though her smile took on a sad undertone. "I know," she repeated, quieter than her original voice.

Porlyusica sighed. "I've already contacted your aunt and uncle, as well as your father, that you've woken up. They ought to be here soon, and then I have some important matters to discuss with all of you."

Wendy nodded in acceptance.

No sooner had she done this than the door to her hospital room opened and the adults in question entered. Upon seeing her, Grandine immediately raced over and embraced Wendy, crushing her niece to her chest. "Wendy, oh, Wendy, we were so worried about you!" she cried.

"Grandine, you're suffocating the poor girl," Igneel chuckled, laying a hand on his wife's shoulder.

Wendy hugged her aunt back. "I'm sorry for worrying you," she murmured. "I'm okay now, I promise."

Porlyusica cleared her throat, halting the conversation. "Can we get on to business?" she suggested impatiently. "The subject of Wendy's health. This was by far the worst RED attack she's ever had, and the only one that's put her in the hospital."

Grandine nodded agreement. "She's never had an attack so strong and life-threatening before." she added, taking Wendy's hand, as if the girl might slip away if she didn't cling to her.

Porlyusica nodded, jotting down notes in her folder. Wendy couldn't help but wonder if this folder was like her mom's. "I think it's safe to say that this kind of near-death experience won't happen again," she said. "Your last option is having us operate on Wendy to remove her diseased tissue."

Grandine bit her lip. "We'd have to loan money-"

She was cut off of her sentence by the door to the room flying open. Wendy's gaze snapped up at the sudden intrusion, and her heart jumped. "Mest!" she exclaimed, a broad smile stretching across her face.

The black-haired man looked frantic, as though he had just woken up from sleep. His hair, which had grown longer over the time they had known each other, was shaggy and disheveled from sleep, and his shirt had stains on it. Visible relief showed on his face when he spotted Wendy, but at the sight of her father, aunt and uncle, he felt embarrassed at barging in. "I, uh, hope I'm not interrupting?"

Porlyusica frowned at Mest disapprovingly. "Honestly, you are so difficult. First you come here in hysterics, demanding a doctor, then you refuse to leave and we have to leave you overnight, and now this! Why don't you just move in?"

Wendy's eyes flicked from Mest to Grandine, who was watching in utter confusion. Her uncle and father wore like expressions. She giggled lightly. "Dad, Auntie, Uncle, this is Mest, my boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?!" Dominic exclaimed in utter shock, his eyes widening and his mouth falling open. Wendy tried hard to stifle her laughter caused by her father's ridiculous expression.

"Yeah, my boyfriend," she replied, smiling at Mest.

Porlyusica growled in annoyance. "Whatever. Stay if you please, I really couldn't care at this point." she paused, letting out a sigh and calming her emotions. "Humans are so irritating. Anyway, about the operation. I was able to get you a twenty-five thousand dollar discount, but that's as far as the surgeons were willing to barter."

Mest made his way to the bed and sat down beside Wendy, squeezing her shoulder gently. He looked curious and confused, but wisely didn't ask any questions.

"Four hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars is still too much," Grandine insisted, but she looked pained, torn between her financial situation and the life of her niece. "Even if we did pay for it, it's too hard on us financially. We'd have to sell our house, and after that, I don't know!"

Mest's hand retreated from Wendy's shoulder, and the small bluenette looked up at Mest curiously. He had a thoughtful look on his face. "How much do you have saved up?" he asked suddenly, taking Grandine by surprise.

"Three hundred and ninety-two thousand," Igneel answered warily.

Mest grinned and stood up. "She'll have the operation. I'll pay the difference," he said.

Wendy gasped and lurched forward, grabbing Mest's arm. "Mest, you can't!" she exclaimed. "That money is your college fund. I won't let you waste it on me!"

Mest turned to her with a gentle smile and ruffled her hair like he always did. "Don't worry about it," he murmured, and leaned over to press his forehead against hers. "It's not wasted if it'll keep you with me." he straightened up and turned to Porlyusica. "How long before she can go into surgery?"

Even Porlyusica looked dumbfounded by this turn of events. "About twenty minutes," she replied.

Mest nodded. "Perfect. Can I speak with Wendy?" he turned to her family and added, "In private?"

Dominic looked extremely hesitant to leave his fourteen-year-old daughter with a seventeen-year-old man, but Grandine whispered something in his ear and he muttered a reluctant consent, allowing his sister to pull her out of the room.

Porlyusica watched them go. "Well, if they have no protest, I'll alert the surgeons," she said, standing up and leaving with a curt nod in Mest's direction. "I'll be back with the surgeons to claim Wendy in a little while."

Mest waited until Porlyusica had shut the door and retreated from view before he turned to Wendy. Without a word he seized her shoulders and pulled her up to him, sealing her lips with his in a fierce kiss. Wendy didn't have time to speak. She melted into the kiss instantly, kissing him back passionately.

It was Mest who finally broke the kiss. He pulled Wendy against his chest, embracing her tightly. "You moron. Why didn't you tell me you were sick? I would have helped you out," he murmured into her ear.

Wendy clutched the back of Mest's shirt helplessly, feeling guilty. "I'm sorry. I was going to tell you, I really was, but…" she trailed off, biting her lip.

"Don't be afraid to tell me these things," Mest said, finally pulling back to look Wendy in the eye. "You're lucky I love you too much to be angry with you."

Wendy blushed at the comment, shrinking into herself shyly. "L-Love?" she repeated, and she blinked in realization. "That's right. I heard you talking to me, when I was unconscious. I think it helped me wake up."

Mest grinned at his girlfriend, laying down on the hospital bed beside her. "Any other secrets you've been hiding from me?" he asked with a suggestive raise of his eyebrows.

Wendy rolled her eyes and shoved Mest lightly. "Get your mind out of the gutter," she reprimanded, blushing slightly. "And since you asked, that's how my mom died. She passed on the disease to me. Other than that, no more secrets, I promise."

Mest raised his eyebrows at her, propping his head up on his hand. "A hereditary disease?" he said in surprise. "So if you ever have kids…"

"I don't know," Wendy admitted. "I was Lyra's only child, so I don't know how often a child inherits RED, and I don't know if this operation will cure me entirely and completely destroy the disease. I don't even know if the operation will be able to save me."

Mest took Wendy's hand and laced his fingers with hers, squeezing her hand lightly. "I believe," he said with a grin.

"You're so cheesy," Wendy giggled, laying her head against his chest. She touched a hand to her stomach lightly, a thoughtful look on her face. "Do you think that… maybe someday, we could… get married? Maybe have kids of our own?" she asked tentatively, timidly, craning her neck to look at Mest's face.

Mest blinked, shocked for a moment, and then his expression softened and he smiled. "Yeah, I think that, maybe, we could," he replied in a whisper, pressing his lips briefly against her forehead.

Wendy smiled and leaned up to capture his lips with hers, kissing him gently but with feeling. She only broke the kiss when the surgeons came to retrieve her. Mest climbed out of her bed as the surgeons began to roll her out of the room, walking with her and holding her hand. "I'll see you in a few hours," he said as they reached the room where they would have to separate. He smiled down at her reassuringly. "I love you."

Wendy smiled back, and squeezed Mest's hand tightly. "I love you too," she replied, and then she let go of his hand. She sighed contentedly as the surgeons wheeled her into the room where her life would change forever.

And she wasn't afraid.


	15. Epilogue

**Hey guys! This si it, the final chapter. Thank you all so much for supporting my writing. You all are amazing! I had no idea there were so many Mendy fans out there! ^^ It's been an adventure! I already have another Mendy story in the works, but it will probably be a while before I post it. If you're interested, I've nearly finished with my Gajevy fic, and I also have a Gruvia and a Nalu that I've been posting, so go read them if you want xD Also, don't forget to drop a review here! I will answer every one of them!**

**LeahMineStar: Updates have always been on Saturdays xD Thanks for reviewing!**

**Ice and Thunder: Thank you, darling x3**

**Guest: Mest is a sweetheart, isn't he? Even though he teases Wendy so much. Thank you so much for your wonderful reviews, they make me smile every time I read them!**

**Schreeching Harmony: haha c: I love Mest's character. He's kind of tsundere, but actually really sweet.**

**CuteFoxSage-NightShadeOwl: The drama has always been real! xD Thank you!**

**Sakura-Fiction: D'aww /hugs/ It's alright, hon xD**

* * *

Wendy laid her head back on her pillow as the surgeons wheeled her into a brightly lit room. Glancing around at all the tools and sharp objects in the room, she began to feel nervous. "What's going to happen to me?" she asked, her voice wavering.

One of the surgeons smiled down at her. It was a woman, her hair held up in a bun at the base of her head. "We're going to take care of you. You'll be just fine," she replied. The stopped rolling the table, securing it to the floor, and the female surgeon she was talking to reached out and showed her a needle attached to a bag. "This IV contains a sedative that will keep you asleep during the whole operation. I promise, you won't feel a thing."

Wendy swallowed and nodded, and the surgeon touched her arm gently, sliding the needle into the skin of her forearm. She winced at the uncomfortable feeling, but it quickly went away as the drugs immediately began to take effect.

"Do you feel woozy?" the surgeon asker her. Wendy nodded lightly in reply, her eyelids drooping.

The surgeon smiled. "Good. Let the drugs take effect. You may have some strange dreams, but don't think too much about them. This ought to keep you under long enough for us to perform the surgery."

Wendy managed a small nod, her eyelids feeling heavy, and eventually she let them shut, allowing herself to drift off into a world of nothingness.

* * *

When Wendy next opened her eyes, she felt light, as though she was floating. When she looked at her feet, however, they were touching the ground. It was strange, floating while still being anchored to the ground. She sighed, taking a step forward, and giggled at the strange feeling that followed.

That was when she heard the voice. It was faint, as though far away, and Wendy's eyes widened. She raised her head, turning towards the sound, and saw a house, alone in the darkness that surrounded her. Her heart ached; it was her childhood home the one she lived in before she moved in with Natsu. The voice she had heard was singing, a gentle melody that she recognized all too well. As if by instinct, she gravitated towards the open window of the house, placing her hands on the sill and peeking inside.

Wendy felt tears come to her eyes at the sight in front of her, and she had to cover her mouth to hide her shock. Inside of the room was herself, as a child, maybe five or six years old. She was tucked into her bed, and her mother was perched on the edge, stroking her daughter's hair and singing soft words to her.

Wendy strained her ears, holding tightly to every word her mother sang. It was a love song, about a man who found his soul mate, describing their meeting as "fated". As the last note began to die, the younger version of herself opened her eyes to gaze at her mother.

"Mama?" the six-year-old called. "How did you know that you and daddy were meant to be together?"

Lyra smiled down at her daughter. "I just knew, dear," she replied.

The bluenette pouted at her mother's vague answer. "That doesn't make any sense," she exclaimed.

Lyra tucked a strand of her daughter's hair behind her ear. "Let me tell you a story that my mother told me when I was your age," she suggested. "A long time ago, before you were born, you lived in Heaven. While you were living there, you had a partner, someone you would do anything for, and who would do anything for you. But when you were born, you forgot all about that person. Someday, when you grow up, you'll meet that special person, and that meeting is called fate."

The young Wendy frowned, looking troubled. "But how will I know who my heaven-partner is? What if I never find them?" she fretted.

Lyra smiled. "You'll meet them," She promised. "And when you do, you'll know it, because you'll feel it in here." she tapped the space over Wendy's heart. "It'll be a warm feeling that makes you want to protect that person."

Wendy dug her fingers into the windowsill, watching the scene inside unfold. She remembered having this conversation with her mother, a long time ago. "But… who is my heaven-partner?"

To her surprise, Lyra lifted her head and looked her right in the eye, a warm smiled on her face. Wendy's heart ached at the familiarity of her face. "Silly girl! You've already found him!"

Wendy gasped, the image in front of her spinning. The house began to fade out of her vision, turning as black as the rest of the world around her. For a moment, she had forgotten herself. She clenched her hands at her sides and closed her eyes tightly. "I want to see Mest!"

* * *

Wendy blinked her eyes open, bright light blinding her and making her squint. The first thing she noticed was that her IV was gone, the uncomfortable itch missing. The second thing she noticed was the man holding her hand.

"Good morning, Wendy," Mest murmured, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb. "Did you have a good dream?"

Wendy tugged her hand from Mest's grip and raised it to his face, cupping his cheek. "You're real, right? Not a dream?" she whispered. "I'm awake now, right?"

Mest grinned and placed his hand over the one on his face. "As awake as you will be," he replied. "The doctors said it would take a little while for the drugs to wear off completely."

Wendy's eyes widened. "I'm alive… I'm awake… does that mean…?"

"The operation was a success." Porlyusica leaned on the door frame, smiling down at Wendy. "The surgeons managed to remove all the damaged tissue in your lungs and throat. You'll have to come in for weekly scans for the next few months to make sure the disease doesn't come back, but for now you're completely RED free."

Wendy felt tears come to her eyes, and pretty soon she was sobbing uncontrollably, throwing her arms around Mest's neck. "I'm free," she whispered between sobs. "I'm free."

Mest held his girlfriend close to him. "You shouldn't tire yourself out," he reprimanded. "You just woke up from a very deep surgery. You don't want to open your stitches."

Wendy nodded and laid back down, feeling a dull throb in her stomach. Lifting up her shirt a bit, she reached up and felt the stitches, just above her belly button."Is this going to leave a scar?" she asked, turning to Porlyusica.

The pink-haired doctor nodded. "It'll be a pretty distinct scar until you start to age more. It will fade with time, though," she replied. "Until it heals, you are to stay in bed, and eat only soft foods that are easy to digest. Bread, butter, cereal, crackers, that kind of thing."

"Are Auntie and Uncle around?" Wendy asked then. "And my dad?"

"They're on their way. We just called them to let them know you had woken up," Porlyusica answered. "They were crowding up our waiting room, so we told them to go home. This one refused to leave, though." she scowled at Mest. "Such a stubborn child. I don't know why you humans are so sentimental."

"Um, aren't you…?" Mest began, then he paused and shook his head. "Never mind. I don't want to know."

Wendy giggled and squeezed Mest's hand. "Thanks for waiting for me," she murmured. "I had the strangest dream. I saw my mom, and me when I was little, and she told me a story… but I can tell you more about it later. How long was I under?"

Mest glanced at his watch for a moment. "About five hours total. It's seven at night. You went under at two-thirty, and the surgery took about three hours. You've been asleep for the rest," he explained, showing her his watch. "I've been here the whole time. Pro tip, don't eat the food."

Wendy laughed at the joke and grasped Mest's shoulders, pulling herself into a sitting position to press a kiss to his lips. Mest kissed her back eagerly, hugging her to his chest tightly. When Wendy broke the kiss, there was a silly grin on her face. "I missed that," she admitted with a content sigh.

"Well, if you're done kissing now, mind if we join in?" Wendy turned her gaze to where Natsu was standing in the doorway, with Grandine, Igneel and Dominic close behind him. He had a grin on his face as he approached his cousin's bed, perching on the edge of it. "Welcome back to the living world, Wens."

"Good to be back," Wendy laughed in reply. "Did you worry too much?" she batted her eyes at Natsu teasingly.

Natsu rolled his eyes. "I worry about you no matter what," he replied, and pulled her in for a hug. "I'm glad you're safe."

"He nearly decked the doctor that told us to leave," Igneel put in, reached out to brush his fingers over Wendy's hair. "He started yelling and swearing, it was quite the sight!"

"Then again, so did Dominic," Grandine added with a laugh. "I thought he was going to blow his top for sure."

Wendy smiled at her family. "You guys are the best," she said, laying herself back down on her hospital bed.

"Of course we are!" Natsu said with a grin. Then he paused, jerking his thumb towards his father. "Well, except for him. He wouldn't let me bring Lucy with me."

Igneel scowled at his son. "Forgive me for wanting this to be a family moment!" he replied with a roll of his eyes.

"I bet Wendy wanted to see Lucy."

"What are you now, a mind reader?"

"I'm just saying that I know Wendy better than you!"

"What? I'm her uncle!"

"Well I'm her cousin, and her best friend."

Wendy giggled, lifting her hand. "Actually, Chelia is my best friend," she corrected.

Mest acted offended, putting a hand on his chest. "I'm not?"

Wendy giggled and kissed Mest's cheek. "No, you're my boyfriend."

"Can we all just calm down a little?" Grandine suggested, but the situation was already out of her control. Natsu and Igneel turned their bickering to a corner, as if that would make it more private. Natsu's hands flew expressively as he struggled to keep his conversation to a whisper.

Wendy sighed, twining her fingers with Mest's. "Some things never change," she murmured.

Mest grinned, squeezing her hand. "It's more of an adventure that way!"

* * *

Wendy groaned as the shrill wailing woke her from her sleep for the fourth time that night. She turned over, nudging Mest with her foot. "It's your turn to rock her," she whispered sleepily.

Mest grunted in reply and reluctantly dragged himself out of bed. He ran a hand through his sleep-rumpled hair, walking out of his bedroom and into the one next to it, approaching the crib inside.

"Sssh," he soothed, scooping up his infant daughter. "It's alright, Aiya. Daddy's here." he picked up a bottle from the small dresser in the room and sat down in the rocking chair, holding the bottle out.

Aiya quieted down and accepted the bottle, her eyes fluttering open. They were brown, like Wendy's, with Mest's dark hair. He smiled as she stared up at him innocently. "For being so small, you're quite a bit of trouble," he commented.

Mest looked up as Wendy entered, stifling a yawn. "It's alright, Wendy. She's calming down," he assured his wife of two years.

Wendy hummed in reply, perching on the arm of the rocking chair. "I can't help it. I know you have it handled, but call it a mother's paranoid mind."

Mest chuckled. "I'll humor you, just this once," he relented, holding out the small bundle for Wendy to take.

Wendy accepted Aiya readily, cradling her in the crook of her elbow. She cooed baby words to the tiny child, smiling when Aiya laughed responsively. "It may be four in the morning, but it's times like this that make me the happiest," she sighed.

Mest snuck his arm around his wife's waist, pressing his face into her hair. "Happier than when you met me?" he asked with a teasing grin.

Wendy stuck her tongue out at Mest. "You know I love you, but if I had to choose, well…" her pout morphed into a grin.

"Aw, come on, Wendy," Mest complained, pouting at her. Then he grinned as well, turning his head back to his daughter. "But you know, I think you're right. It's strange how in nine months, without even meeting her, you can become so attached to this little baby."

Wendy leaned her head on Mest's shoulder. "That's because she's ours," she whispered. She squeezed Mest's hand and leaned up to kiss him on the cheek. "I love you, Mest."

Mest smiled in reply. "I love you too, Wendy."


End file.
